Mobile Suit Titan SEED
by Giriko-99
Summary: Jack Cooper and BT-7274 have been transported to another universe after the destruction of the Fold Weapon. Now the duo has to fight in another war with machines called Mobile Suits. It is up to them in this journey to stop this war of madness and destruction before it is too late. Rated M for mature.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

 **A/N:**

 **Hello fellow viewers. This is my Titanfall 2/Gundam SEED crossover chapter. For some reason, my mind is nagging to make a crossover between these two mech-theme series so I decided to take a shot at this one. Some of you have given me some positive comments about the story in the test chapter so I decided to publish a true story. If you want to check out the first test chapter, then look for Titan-SEED Test Crossover selection and read it for yourselves.**

 **So without further ado, let's get this party started!**

 **Legend:**

 **Hello – BT-7274 Speaking or Titan OS speaking.**

 _Hello_ **– Thoughts, computer logs, or flashback.**

Hello **– Radio communications, news media outlet.**

 **Disclaimer:**

 **Jack Cooper and BT-7274 and Titanfall 2 belongs to Respawn Entertainment while Gundam SEED belongs to Sunrise and directed by Mitsudo Fukuda.**

* * *

The Cosmic Era. A new era for humanity where the use of the Anno Domini calendar is long gone. An era in which individual countries are united together forming a world power. Such world powers include the Eurasian Federation, the Atlantic Federation, the Orb Union, and so forth.

Just like the name suggests, it is also a time in human history where humanity has made advancements into space exploration, with the creation of space colonies and colonization of the Moon such as the creation of Copernicus City.

This is also where the Coordinator race came to existence with George Glenn being the first Coordinator born via genetic modification.

Despite all these peculiar events taking place within this time frame of human history, tensions begin to rise. Those who are born without genetic modification, known as Naturals, discriminate against Coordinators, calling them abominations and freaks of nature. Such unease between the two groups of humans escalate more and more, sometimes with violent confrontation, making George Glenn propose for a nation where Coordinators can live without facing persecution and fear.

So on Cosmic Era 44 or C.E. 44 for short, the nation of PLANT is born. The Coordinators packed their bags, left Earth, and settled in their new homes.

You would think this would end the strained relationship between the two parties but it sadly did not solve the issue. Anti-Coordinator sentiments continue to rise with various terrorist groups, including the infamous extremist group, Blue Cosmos, inflict terror upon the Coordinators making the relationship between Earth and the PLANTs deteriorate. Relationships crumbled even further when the assassination of George Glenn took place thanks to a Natural not being able to become a Coordinator.

Then on February 14, C.E. 70 the strain between Earth and PLANTs reached a breaking point. Right on this specific Valentine's Day, the day where people express their love to their significant other, nuclear missiles hit an agricultural colony, Junius Seven, killing about 223,471 civilians in the hourglass home. This tragedy known as the Bloody Valentine Tragedy will forever be written down in the pages of history books in infamy. This also marks the of the infamous Bloody Valentine War that rages on with no end in sight.

Which brings us to our present time.

In the neutral colony of Heliopolis, people go about their own business as usual like any other day as they let the peaceful atmosphere reign in. Although neutral, the civilians know that pace will not last for long thanks to the war raging outside. They fear that one day, this colony will be dragged into the conflict they do not want to participate.

Little did these civilians know that conflict is just ready to knock on their front door.

Right around the gazebo, Kira Yamato is holding a notepad on one hand while furiously typing on the other. While the young man is continuously working hard in his assignment, he has the news feed open in a separate window which is reporting about the latest events occurring within Earth and the war.

"We'll now bring you images from the Kaohsiung Front where heavy fighting is taking place. According to the information we are receiving, ZAFT forces have approached within six kilometers of Kaohsiung. The Earth Alliance are keeping a strong defensive position using precise heavy armor and artillery fire but ZAFT reinforcements are pouring in…"

A green and yellow mechanical bird flies down from the sky, landing on the ridge of the young man's laptop. The mechanical bird chirps, tilting its head to the brunette-haired man.

"Birdy?" chirps the mechanical bird. The young man looks up from his laptop, a slight breeze ruffling his brown locks. Looking from the corner of his eye, he spots two familiar people approaching him. These two are Miraillia Haw and Tolle Koenig.

"Hey Tolle, Mir." The young boy greeted them with a smile. Tolle waves at Kira as he approaches over to him in the gazebo

"Yo Kira! So this is where you're hanging out, eh? Professor Kato was looking all over for you."

"Again? This is the third time this week he's asked me to help him out with the algorithms!" Kira sighed in exasperation. Not surprising for Professor Kato to ask him again on to help him in another computer programming assignment. Despite his amazing computer programming abilities, he has a limit to how much he can handle.

"Easy there Kira. He asked us to bring you to him immediately so we were looking all over for you. Could it be another project he wanted you to finish up?" Miriallia, slightly sweatdrops at her friend's outburst but pats him on the shoulder to calm him down.

"Knowing him, it could very well be another algorithm he messed up. I haven't even finished the assignment he handed me yesterday and it took me an all-nighter to get the first half done!"

Just then, the news feed blared from Kira's laptop making Tolle and Mir come over to his work area to see what is going on.

"Hey! Get away from there now! This is not the place for you!" The war reporter yells at some of the frightened bystanders who are running away from the disruptive war zone.

Tolle, Kira and Mir watch the chaotic scenes of war unfold on the Kaohsiung front. ZAFT GINNs descending on the ground in a slow manner, firing their large machine guns at tanks and artillery trucks while in midair. The machine gun rounds shredding through the armor like a knife cutting through butter. They even witness a couple of monoeyed mobile suits stepping on them, destroying the vehicle and the soldiers inside with little to no effort. The GINN then fires another torrent of bullets right at an approaching tank, destroying it with ease.

"Some breaking news on the war huh?" asked Tolle making Kira grimly nod at him as they continue to watch the one-sided battle taking place.

"Yeah on Kaohsiung apparently."

Switching over to get a closer look, the war reporter is giving information about the front.

"Here about seven kilometers of Kaohsiung, the sounds of severe battle continue to echo…" Tolle made a noise of surprise to see the news feed about the Battle of Kaohsiung occurring with gunshots and explosions ringing around the feed.

"There was a battle in Kaohsiung!? How come I haven't been informed about this?" Kira raised an eyebrow at his friend.

"You and Mir were going on a date when this battle took place. How is it possible for you to forget that?"

"Ehe, right. Forgot about that." The brown-haired teen remembered about the date making him scratch his neck in embarrassment. The purple-eyed teen just sighed at his friend's forgetfulness but nonetheless informed him about the battle that took place last week.

"Anyways, the battle is already over and ZAFT forces have occupied the city, destroying their mass-driver in the process. This battle took a blow to the Earth Forces's morale the moment ZAFT took it out."

"Kaohsiung isn't that far away is it? Will the homeland be alright? Will ZAFT and the Earth Alliance set their sights on Orb next?" Mir adopted a worried expression, wondering if Orb will be dragged into the war. Tolle, without a second thought, reassures his girlfriend that the war will not step into their homeland.

"I wouldn't worry my head over it. Sure Kaohsiung is close but we're a neutral nation. I can't imagine Orb turning into a battlefield anytime soon so we'll be fine."

Miriallia thought about it before agreeing with her boyfriend's assessment on the situation.

"Yeah, you're right, I guess. Still, it's a bit concerning for the war to come to our doorstep."

Kira just stayed silent within the conversation, closing his laptop. It did concern him somewhat about the war possibly making it over to neutral territories but he did not ponder it for long. After all, he has other business to worry about than the war. Once he packed his laptop away, he joined up with Miriallia and Tolle.

"Come on Kira. We can't let Professor Kato wait. You know how he gets if we take our sweet time."

Slinging his backpack over his shoulder, Kira gets up from his seat joining up with them.

"Right. Let's go."

* * *

Right at the Heliopolis spaceport, the _Marseille III_ is approaching the spaceport, slowly entering in before coming to a complete halt. Right in the bridge of the spaceport itself is a young man around his 20s with wavy blonde hair and blue eyes. The young man is wearing a blue and light blue colored uniform with his ID attached to the right side of the uniform.

This man is no other than the famous Hawk of Endymion, Mu La Flaga. During the Battle of Endymion, Mu is able to take down five ZAFT GINNs with his Moebius Zero without having much trouble which is an incredible feat in and of itself. After the battle ended, he is the only mobile armor pilot left capable of piloting mobile armor.

Accompanying Mu is the captain of the vessel. He is an older man with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a mustache. The man wears a grey and black uniform with an officer's cap floating off to the side as he breathes a sigh of relief.

"The ship has safely completed its final mission. You served well as an escort, Lieutenant La Flaga. Thank you for your assistance." The Captain gives his thanks to the man who only waves it off in a nonchalant manner.

"Don't worry about it sir. Just doing my duty though I'm glad we made it here without stirring up any incidents. Though, what about the ZAFT vessels within the vicinity of the colony sir?"

"We traced two vessels but I don't think we need to worry about them for the time moment. Once we're in Heliopolis, they can't fire a single shot." The man assures him in a confident manner. This only makes Mu snort playfully at such a notion.

"Because Heliopolis is a neutral nation and under Orb's protection? What a frigging joke that is." The captain chuckles at him but brings up a good point.

"True, but thanks to that, we've been able to proceed on with our plans as scheduled. Orb is a nation of Earth after all."

"Sir, may we be excused?" asked one of the test pilots on board the _Marseille III_. The Captain nods his head giving them the signal to leave. The five test pilots saluted the captain before leaving the bridge. Mu watched the young pilots leave the bridge before turning his attention back to his superior officer.

"You think those kids are capable piloting those machines on the ground?" The captain looks at him before reassuring the veteran mobile armor pilot that they will be fine.

"For sure. I know they're young and it's rather questionable on high command's part to trust these machines to them but they're the top guns selected to pilot the G-Weapons. I'm sure they can handle the pressure, but if you were to pilot one of them, you'll stick out like a sore thumb." Mu chuckles a bit at his point but the captain is right.

"Yeah I guess you're right. Still I can't help but worry about the kids you know?" The captain nods in understanding before telling him to have faith in them.

"Have faith in them Lieutenant La Flaga. Have faith in them."

* * *

Outside of Heliopolis, the _Vesalius_ and the _Gamow_ are parked right behind a large asteroid big enough to fit the two vessels. Inside the _Vesalius_ , Athrun takes a deep sigh as he tugs on the gloves of his pilot suit. The man is having second thoughts on raiding Heliopolis just for them to steal the prototype mobile suits made by Orb.

To the redcoat elite, it makes no sense as to why a neutral nation, such as Orb, would aid the Earth Alliance in their war against ZAFT. The sheer aspect is just ludicrous but it did garner some suspicion. If Orb wants to accelerate their mobile suit development program, then they can quietly do it within the confines of their facilities and nobody would give a damn about them.

Yet why would they violate their neutrality by giving the Earth Forces machines that could very well turn the tide of this war around?

Athrun is lost in his thoughts before Yzak noticed his distressed expression.

"Looking nervous over there Athrun? It's not like you to be stressing yourself in this type of situation." The young man gives him a sideways glance before closing the locker. Dearka goes over to the two, already geared up and ready to go.

"This mission shouldn't be so hard. Sneaking in to a neutral nation like Heliopolis will be a piece of cake compared to some of the other missions we've had over the past month. They're not gonna suspect a sneak attack in their wildest dreams." The blonde elite soldier then looks over to Athrun, giving him a taunting grin.

"Don't tell me, the cool, efficient and mighty Athrun Zala is afraid of pacifists? I think the world's coming to an end." Athrun balls his fist, gritting his teeth at the mocking remark but Rusty comes in his defense.

"Cut it out Dearka. That attitude of yours is gonna end up killing you someday. You can't be too cocky about this mission."

"Suit yourself. Cowards can stay behind while you let us pros show you newbies how it's done. Besides, you might slow us down in the mission so I guess the only option for you is to stay here." The blonde elite soldier shrugs his shoulders in a dismissive way. Nicol shakes his head in disappointment at his teammate's remark.

"This is an important mission Dearka. Just because Orb is neutral doesn't mean we can underestimate them." Dearka dismisses it with a shake of his hand.

"Ah you worry too much Nick. Take a chill pill and relax." Nicol, however, stands firm in his stance and tells him otherwise.

"Still, it's best if we keep our guard up. This could easily turn the tide of this war into the EA's favor and we can't afford to make any mistakes.

"Couldn't have said it better than myself Nicol."

The squad looks over to see Rau Le Creuset standing in them, wearing his ZAFT white commander's uniform and his signature white mask covering the upper half of his face. The team stood in attention, offering their salutes to the ZAFT commander. The man motions them to stand at ease.

"At ease men." Disengaging their salutes, the commander looks over each of them in a serious manner.

"Gentlemen, I can't say this enough about how important this mission is. Orb violated their neutrality by providing some mobile suits to the Earth Alliance that will give them an edge over us. As such, it's vital for us to either capture or destroy those machines before it's too late. Understand?"

They nod their heads to him. Young as they may be, they are quite talented, having graduated around the top ten from the ZAFT Military Academy. This mission will surely be a success and Rau knows the fate of ZAFT is safe in their hands.

"Remember gentlemen, time is of the essence here. Everybody in ZAFT is counting on you and I have complete faith and confidence you'll complete this mission without any issues." He salutes to them making them salute back to him.

"Don't worry sir. We won't let you down." said Yzak. Rau gives his nod of confidence to the silver-haired elite soldier.

"Good luck in your endeavors. I have high expectations in every one of you." With that, the man left the locker room, leaving the rest of the Le Creuset Team to finish gearing themselves up for the mission.

Speaking of which, the masked commander went up to the _Vesalius_ 's bridge to meet up with his second in command, Fredrick Ades. Said man taps his finger on the chair's armrest impatiently while staring at the screen displaying the neutral colony. This mission right now places him on edge. He knows attacking a neutral colony belonging to Orb is not such a great idea. This will only result in painting ZAFT under a bad light and bad publicity is not something you would want to showcase to future volunteers signing up to serve in the army.

His commanding officer, however, has other plans in store. Floating right by his seat, he stops at a holographic table.

"Don't look so frustrated Ades. You've been tense ever since we departed from PLANT to Heliopolis." The man turns his seat slightly, looking straight right at Rau.

"Sorry about that Commander Le Creuset. I guess it wouldn't be too late if we wait for permission granted by the supreme council!" Rau disagrees with him, grabbing a picture of a certain prototype mobile suit from the table. He examines the picture for a minute before tossing it right at Ades.

"By then, we'll miss our window as my sixth sense is telling me. If we let things slip by our hand…we will dearly pay for those consequences. Even the tiniest of slip ups can cost us dearly in the end. As such, we have to either snatch or destroy those machines before we lose our momentum in this war for good."

This only deepens the Ades' frown but he does not raise an objection. From the conversations he has with the masked commander, Rau is a stubborn man once he makes up his mind. The man will see to it that the mission is complete no matter what the cost.

Turning back to the main port window of the _Vesalius_ 's bridge, he looks at one of the smaller screens showing the two dropships landing on the surface of the Heliopolis mine with the strike teams exiting the transports.

* * *

Kira, Tolle, and Miriallia entered in the Heliopolis Technical Institute of Engineering heading straight to Professor Kato's lab. After scanning their student IDs, they immediately went inside the lab. Upon entering in the lab, Sai Argyle greeted him.

"Hey Kira. Glad you made it." Kuzzey Buskirk, on the other hand, shakes his head at him from his desk.

"I thought we were supposed to meet Kira. I didn't expect the whole crew to be here in one piece." Tolle snorts at him in a playful manner at his friend before marching up to Kuzzey's desk, placing his hands on the table before him.

"And what's that supposed to mean huh, Kuzzey? You got a problem with us being here?" This prompts the blue-haired man to raise his hands in a defensive manner.

"Hey I didn't imply that I'm not grateful or anything okay? Just saying, Kira was supposed to be here as Professor Kato instructed, not you guys. I didn't expect a large company forming around here."

While the two young men continue on with their conversation, Kira looked around the lab to see a person wearing a black newspaper boy hat, a brown coat, khaki pants and brown shoes. Underneath the person's cap is a mop of messy blonde hair. Kira took a glance at the person before heading back to Kuzzey and Tolle, wanting to know who that person is.

"Hey Kuzzey, who's the person over there?" The blue-haired student glances over to the aforementioned individual before turning his attention to his friend.

"Oh him? He's Professor Kato's guest. He's been told to wait here since he has some sort of emergency business to take care of." Just as Kuzzey said that, Sai comes in from the side room of the lab to hand Kira a disk.

"Hey Kira, Professor Kato handed me this one. He told me to give it to you. I'm assuming this is from Morgenroete but do you know anything about it?" The purple-eyed young man took the disk, inspecting it from every angle.

"I don't think it's anything special. It's in regards to improving the frame setup module. Just a simple program analysis."

Oblivious to the situation around him, Tolle creeps up on him from behind readying himself for his usual surprise attack. Closing the distance enough where he is unnoticed, he jumps into action, interlocking him in a choking position with his arm.

"Aside from all the techy mumbo jumbo stuff, ask him about the letter!"

"A letter, Kira? What is Tolle talking about?" Sai raises an eyebrow at this. If this is a letter about him now hired to work for Morgenroete, then he will happily take the offer. After all, Morgenrote is every tech head's dream company to work in and he would never pass this up.

"Ah don't worry about it Sai. Tolle's just trying to be funny!" Kira frantically tries to knock Tolle off him while telling Sai it is nothing.

During the whole interaction, nobody notices the visitor trying to leave the lab through another entrance only for it to be locked. The visitor gritted his teeth in frustration. Deciding that trying to bust it is not worth it, he went back to her spot waiting impatiently for the professor to arrive.

* * *

Back in the _Vesalius_ , Rau looks down on his watch to make sure the timing of this operation is perfect. Smiling that they are right on schedule, he looks over to Ades giving him the signal to let the _Gamow_ and _Vesalius_ launch to Heliopolis.

"Weigh in the anchor! _Vesalius_ launch! Initiate jammers as we approach the Heliopolis spaceport. Tell the _Gamow_ to do the same." orders Ades to the _Vesalius_ crew members.

The two ships retract their anchors before activating their jammers. As the two ships immediately left their hiding positions, the Heliopolis Dock Control room is warning them about the repercussions of violating Heliopolis's neutrality. Unfortunately, this warning fell on deaf ears to the approaching ZAFT cruisers thanks to the jammers disrupting the air waves.

While Mu La Flaga and his mobile armor squad are launching out in space to engage the incoming ZAFT vessels, the _Archangel_ is about to leave the colony. What the crew members of the _Archangel_ did not know is that the hangar is covered entirely of explosives with five minutes left on the timer.

* * *

Within the confines of a large abandoned warehouse, Jack Cooper enters in the large empty space. He has brown hair with a beard around his face, wearing a red uniform of some kind with the sleeves rolled back right around the forearms. On top of are armor pieces strapped to his chest, legs, and shoulders. Wrapped around his neck is a dark scarf. Covering his hands are fingerless gloves.

Walking in, he spots his trusty friend and ally, BT-7274, but he is sporting a rather different look. No longer is BT in his Vanguard Titan frame but in a new one. A custom ZGMF-515 CGUE to be precise. More on how he is able to get the custom CGUE at a later time.

" **Greetings Pilot Cooper. How are you on this day?** " The former Vanguard Titan walks over to Jack, greeting him.

"I'm fine BT. A bit tired but fine." The Militia pilot smiles right at his old partner approaching closer to him.

" **I detect some symptoms of sleep deprivation along with small pockets of sustenance in your body. Doing some strenuous activities will worsen the state you are in which is not advisable. Despite this, are you sure it is wise for you to do some simulation runs today?** "

"I'll be fine. Compared to what I had to deal with, this is nothing." The pilot shrugs it off. He suffered way worse cases than lacking a few hours of sleep.

" **If I may inquire, Jack, what has caused you to have sleep deprivation? I do not believe I requested anything about repairs or adjustments to my frame.** " Jack chuckles at the machine making the former Vanguard Titan look at him at a strange manner.

"Oh it's not about getting parts, BT. Rather, it's about the prototypes the Morgenroete Heliopolis branch created for the Earth Forces." said Jack after he calms himself down.

" **Explain.** " demanded BT-7274. Taking a deep breath, Jack takes a flash drive from his uniform before giving it to BT. The former Vanguard Titan produces a blue beam from his data core, scanning the USB drive before dissipating the beam. Jack places his flash drive back in his gear before explaining to his old friend about the Earth Forces prototype mobile suits.

"Basically the Earth Forces asked Morgenroete to build them some prototype mobile suits to use against ZAFT to turn the tide of the war into their favor. They agreed to it so they built five prototype mobile suits such as the GAT-X102 Duel, GAT-X103 Buster, GAT-X207 Blitz, GAT-X105 Strike, and the GAT-X303 Aegis. Each unit has a specific role in combat and equipped with weapons to fill in said role."

 **"The blue print of these machines and the roles they fulfill are similar to the Titans back in the Frontier War yet so different in many ways.** "

"Bingo. I have a hunch ZAFT already got wind of this and will try to invade Heliopolis to get them and use these machines against the Earth Forces."

" **With the possibilities of these units being manufactured in a neutral territory, ZAFT will indeed invade Heliopolis. This will, however, violate a treaty to never invade neutral territories which will reflect poorly on ZAFT's image.** " The Militia Pilot snorts at that.

"If they want to get those units, they'll do anything to take it, no matter what. Besides, I'm sure their high command will fabricate some parts of the story to make it seem as if Heliopolis discarded their neutrality to help the Earth Forces against them. If those bastards start taking out civilians, we'll step in and crush them our way. Enough about the G-Project, you ready for some runs?"

The Titan kneels down, opening up the hatch of the cockpit. Hopping in, the cockpit closes itself as BT-7274 takes out a modified MM1-M7S 76mm Machine Gun from the back as he loads in a new magazine. Once the two are set, he commands BT to activate the simulation.

"BT, commence Combat VR."

" **Affirmative. Picking environment from the Frontier War Playlist.** " BT's data core immediately displays a large beam of blue light, showing him the highly industrialized metropolis known as Angel City. Jack cracks his knuckles before placing his hands comfortably on the armrests of the seat.

"Alright BT, let's get the music started. Do the usual lineup."

" **Summoning the first wave of IMC Titans within the vicinity in 3…2...1!** "

Four Titans dropped from the sky before landing down on the ground, shields covering their frames. The group consists of two Tone Titans and two Ronin Titans. Cooper turns his attention to the first Tone Titan wielding a 40mm Tracker Cannon. The Tone Titan fires a couple 40mm explosive shells right at the CGUE prompting Cooper to do a side strafe to the left though this did not deter the enemy Titan.

BT raises his servo up, activating the vortex shield to capture the remaining projectiles before firing it back at the Tone Titan. The IMC Titan flinches a bit as the explosive shells drained a bit of its shield but continues the assault by firing its tracking rockets. BT moves over to a wall to prevent the rockets from hitting his frame. Finishing reloading the modified MM1-M7S machine gun, Jack and BT returned to the fight, finding himself face to face with two Tone Titans and a Ronin. Jack concentrates on the damaged Tone Titan first before moving over to the other two Titans. Dumping a ton of lead into the Titan, the mech's shield and overall health diminished to nothing causing it to explode in a fiery blaze.

The other two Titans were not deterred as they continued their assault on the lone Militia pilot. Jack moves over to the Ronin armed with a Leadwall and its handy broadsword. Despite its weak structure from outside, it is not a Titan to be underestimated. Its high mobility along with the ability to phase dash from one area of the combat field to the next instantly makes this mech a deadly foe.

Not to mention, if the Ronin comes to a Titan in close quarters, the Leadwall can easily shred a mech's armor along with its broadsword which can cleave a thinly armored mech into swiss cheese.

The enemy Ronin used a phase dash making Cooper stand his guard. About four seconds within the phase dash, the Ronin immediately appears to the left side of BT and Cooper with its sword ready to slash them to pieces. Shifting over to the side via the dash thrusters, he dodges the slash from the Ronin before firing a barrage of bullets right at the fast-moving mech, shredding the Titan a new one. It did not take long before the Titan exploded.

"Two down. Two more to go. Let's wrap this up BT."

" **Agreed.** "

He looks over to the next Ronin, aiming its Leadwall right at them. The IMC Titan pulled the trigger on the shotgun, spewing ball bearings from the barrel. BT activates the vortex shield again gathering the shotgun rounds before releasing it to the Ronin. As expected from the first destroyed Ronin, the shields are already down from the rounds being thrown back right at the Titan's frame. This did not deter the duo as Jack directs BT to charge right at the Ronin Titan. The Ronin fires another salvo of rounds from the Leadwall only for Jack to have BT juke around the rounds. Once the duo is close to the Ronin Titan, Jack has BT throw a punch, decreasing its health a bit before finishing it off with the CGUE's machine gun.

The Ronin Titan has sparks raging around the frame along with smoke billowing from different sections of the frame but the severely damaged mech is not finished. The mech, with all the strength it has left, lifts the broadsword up in the air ready to decapitate Jack and BT only for the simulated mech to be rejected of its killing blow.

"Oh ho, not today son. Not today." Jack has BT yank the sword from the simulated mech, ripping the arm unit in the process before stabbing the Titan with its own weapon. The duo kicked the deactivated machine down to the ground before looking right back at the last Tone Titan.

Just before they can continue, a rumbling tremor rocked the colony.

"BT, place the simulation run on hold. What the hell's going on?" The former Militia Vanguard Titan pauses the simulation before running a bit of diagnostics in his internal processor. After he is done processing the information, he reports it back to Jack.

" **It appears that we have some unidentified tremors from the ground of the colony and the seismic waves from the tremors do not match those of planetary earthquakes. My analysis indicate these tremors most likely match those of explosives."**

"Just as we were about to finish up our simulation run, the enemy decides to come knocking in. Talk about some major déjà vu. BT, disengage the simulation, it's time to face the world and give them a show they'll never forget."

BT complies to his request as he disengages the simulation. Cooper hopped off the cockpit to get some of his belongings in the warehouse before hopping back in.

"Let's hit this show on the road." BT grabs the machine gun, reloading a fresh new magazine into the weapon.

" **Agreed. Let's do this partner.** "

The duo left the warehouse, taking to the skies using the thrusters and head straight into the fray of battle.

* * *

The tremor caused a couple objects to collapse on the ground around Professor Kato's lab. Everybody grabbed something to hold themselves steady from the rumbling before it died down. Sai looked over to the others asking if anybody is alright.

"Is everybody alright? Anybody hurt?" Kuzzey got off the table he is leaning on before answering his question.

"No. We're fine." The young blonde man breathes a sigh of relief.

"Did an asteroid hit us?" asked Sai.

"I don't know but let's get to the shelters just in case." said Miriallia making Tolle agree with her.

"Couldn't agree more on that."

They left the lab heading straight to the shelters within the colony.

* * *

Down in the Morgenroete factory district, Lieutenant Murrue Ramius along with the other Earth Forces disguised as Morgenroete employees steadied themselves around the ground as the tremors continue to rock the colony.

"Ma'am, what's going on? Did somebody fire on the colony or what? Is ZAFT attacking Heliopolis?" asked an Earth Forces soldier. She, however, ignores the question ordering them to get the prototypes out of the combat zone.

"Get these machines out of here and into the _Archangel_! The sooner we can get these machines in there the better. Understand?"

Everybody did not question her order, scrambling to evacuate the prototypes into the _Archangel_.

* * *

Yzak grabs his binoculars looking over at the Mongenroete district where the Earth Forces prototype machines are held.

"There they are. Just like what Commander Le Creuset told us on the debrief." The blonde-haired elite soldier grins at that.

"If we poke them, they'll come crawling out of their holes?"

"Of course Dearka. Naturals are blockheads after all." Rusty sighs at Yzak's insulting remark.

"Yzak, I already mentioned before to Dearka that underestimating the enemy is really gonna get you killed someday. Remember, they're the ones who created those machines, not us so I wouldn't call them complete blockheads." The silver-haired Coordinator rolls his eyes at him.

"Whatever you say Natural lover." The orange-haired elite soldier just had a neutral expression on his face.

"Hardly Yzak. At the end of the day, it all comes down to those left standing in the battlefield. Anyways, we have a mission to do. Matthew, Seitzer and Miguel will be here soon so we have to be prepared when they do arrive."

No more than three seconds later, three GINNs flew over the skies of Heliopolis taking out the vehicles surrounding the trailers that are believed to be storing the prototypes. Activating their jetpacks, the Heliopolis strike team went in during the frantic chaos. Yzak taps on the comms, relaying his orders to the team.

"Focus on the trailers and ignore the others. Destroy the parts we can't carry as well as the factories." As they continue to move into the air, Rusty only counted three in the vicinity.

"Intel says there are five prototypes but I can only count three in there. Those machines must be in the remaining factories."

"Rusty and I along with our squad will head to the factory district. You go on ahead without us." said Athrun. Yzak just shrugs at him.

"Floor's yours Zala but don't take too long. We need to deliver the cargo to Commander le Crueset and having them damage is out of the question."

With that, Athrun, Rusty and half of the strike team split off to the factory district while the rest continue their push to get the prototypes. Yzak then turns over to the rest of the strike team, ordering them to give them some cover.

"Alright team, keep us covered and eliminate anybody trying to stop us while we take on the mobile suits. Time is of the essence here."

Upon landing on the ground, Yzak, Dearka, and Nicol took out the first few soldiers hiding behind the crates while the other green coat soldiers filed in the firefight, taking out Earth Forces soldiers with relative ease. The ZAFT forces continue to take out more resistance before the entire sector is clear of enemy soldiers.

* * *

As the attacks continue on around the colony, Kira and the others manage to get out of the Professor Kato's lab before reaching the stairwell and elevator. Sai went up to the elevator, pressing the call button only for it to fail on him. Tolle shakes his head in disappointment at the power outage.

"Looks like the staircase it is." remarked Tolle. Miriallia stayed close to him, scared on the ongoing tremors and rumbles around the college building. Sai opens up the door leading to the stairwell to see people walking up in a fast but orderly fashioned pace.

"What's happening in Heliopolis right now sir?" asked Sai.

"We're under attack by ZAFT. Their mobile suits entered the area and they're tearing this place apart like no tomorrow." remarked one Heliopolis workers. This shocked the entire group at the sudden news since ZAFT should not be invading a neutral territory.

"ZAFT's attacking us?! Why!? We're a neutral nation! Wouldn't this violate a treaty or something?!" demanded Tolle. The Heliopolis worker just shrugs his shoulders.

"I dunno but you better get outta here and into the shelters. I don't know how long this place is going to stand from the assault and I doubt you'd want to stick around when the building suddenly crushes you flat like a pancake."

"Hey man! Quit stalling the line and get moving! We don't want to be here when ZAFT decides to have the building collapse on us!" yelled the second worker making the man continue walking up the stairs leading to the shelters. The blonde man who went with them quietly gasps before running off to the opposite direction. Kira runs after the visitor trying to get him to come back to the shelters.

"Hey come back! The shelter's this way!"

Unfortunately, the woman did not hear him, or rather refused to listen, as she is going outside to investigate. If her hunch is correct, then ZAFT is in Heliopolis for something big. Kira sighs in exasperation as he chases after the blonde man.

"Hey Kira! Where are you going?!" Tolle was about to chase him until Kira stops him from going after him.

"Tolle! You and the others go on without me. I have to chase Professor Kato's guest and bring him back to the shelters."

"You sure about that?" Tolle did not like to leave his friend running in a dangerous place, especially in a building that is taking some hits from combat raging outside.

"Yes now go! I'll catch up with you later." Tolle nods his head before taking control of their group to head outside the university. Without turning back, he went after the visitor.

Within a second later, the hallway collapses blocking the exit. The visitor went over to the left side of the building before another rumbling rocks the structure, bringing both of them to their knees. When the rumbling ceases for a moment, the brown-haired student is quite shocked to see that the visitor is actually a girl thanks to her hat no longer on her head.

"Y-you're a girl?" Kira stuttered in shock.

"Of course I'm one! What the hell do you think I am bastard?! Come on, I'd like to hear it." The blonde woman glares at him for the insulting remark.

"W-well…I…" Kira, taken by her outburst, weakly defends himself from the angry woman in front of him only for another rumble erupting within the building making them come to grips with the situation they are currently facing.

"Look, we don't have time since the university won't last much longer from the fight. We have to get moving to the shelters."

"Then go ahead. I have something to investigate by myself." said the blonde visitor making him look at her as if she is crazy.

"That's easy for you to say but where do I go? I can't exactly return there since the hallway just collapsed!" The blonde woman just glares at him making him sigh in defeat.

" _Can she at least give me something else other than a glare?_ " Kira looks around to see an available entrance that will lead them to the shelters.

"Over here. This will lead us to the shelters in the factory district. Come on." The blonde woman protests trying to yank her wrist from his grip but Kira is not letting her go. The two ran into the dark hallways amidst the chaotic situation in Heliopolis.

* * *

Within the Morgenroete factory district, Athrun, Rusty and a group of green coat soldiers are engaging the Earth forces inside the factory. Thanks to the distractions caused by Matthew, Miguel, and Seitzer's GINNs alongside taking a roundabout in the combat zone, they are able to avoid any resistance.

Taking cover behind a wall, Athrun took a grenade from his vest, took out the pin, and chucked it over at the enemy. The moment the grenade landed on the ground, the explosion took out a group of Earth Forces soldiers in one sweep. The other green coat soldiers took care of the remaining combatants before securing the perimeter of the factory district.

Heading straight to the lock pad, Athrun cracks the code allowing the damaged door to open just enough for soldiers to move in. Rusty ran up to the other side of the door grabbing a grenade from his vest. The two chucked a couple grenades inside the door and within a few seconds, a couple loud explosions erupted inside the entrance.

"Move in!" ordered Athrun. The squad enters inside the entrance with guns blazing, taking out the dazed EA soldiers who are reeling from the grenade explosions.

* * *

Yzak, Nicol, and Dearka entered their machines after their squad secured the area. Unfortunately, a couple green coat soldiers met their ends when reinforcements came in from both Heliopolis security and more Earth Forces soldiers leaving at least three soldiers left in their squad.

As for the GINN pilots, Miguel went over to the factory to check up on Athrun's and Rusty's progress leaving Seitzer and Matthew to take out the remaining targets around the three prototypes.

The silver-haired elite soldier finishes activating his machine, the GAT-X102 Duel. The grey machine immediately picks up the beam rifle and the shield from the trailer compartments as it stands up tall and proud, the sun glistening a shine from the armor.

"Well this is pretty impressive. This unit is outfitted with beam weaponry too. How in the world is it possible for the Earth Forces to develop energy-based weapons? Well whatever the case may be, this machine will do just fine." Yzak looks over at his machine's controls with a rather impressed expression on his face. Despite his hatred for Naturals deigning them to be weak, he does admit that they do make some really amazing mobile suits. He activates the radio channel to contact his other teammates.

"Dearka, are you done yet?"

"Yup. Update activated, nerve links reconstructed. Calibration complete. This'll move." Dearka, who is in the GAT-X103 Buster, just finished activating the machine.

"Nicol?"

"Give me a minute. I'm nearly done with the activation phase process." The green-haired soldier is furiously typing in the GAT-X207 Blitz. Within a minute, the Blitz is standing up from the trailer with the Buster and Duel right behind it. Dearka looks around to see no signs of Rusty and Athrun.

"Where the hell is Rusty and Athrun? They're sure taking their sweet time getting those machines."

"Perhaps they need some backup. We can take these mobile suits and help them out." suggested Nicol only for Yzak to tell him otherwise.

"Don't worry about those two, I'm sure they're fine. After all, this is Zala and Rusty we're talking about. I highly doubt they need some backup unless they're facing a whole company of EA soldiers."

"But…"

"We are to deliver these machines to Commander Le Creuset undamaged. Isn't that right, Nicol?"

"Right…" The green-haired boy could only bite his lip as he reluctantly concedes to his comrade's request.

"Not to mention, this fucking shitty OS isn't even battle ready yet. I need to do some adjustments to the program before I can even use it effectively. Just having this move around is gonna be a pain in the ass." complained Dearka.

"Yzak! Are you guys done over there? I don't mind tearing the Earth Forces a new one but the sooner we get out of this colony the better!" Seitzer finished off an Earth Forces tank before firing another few rounds from his machine gun right at an artillery truck.

"Yeah, we're done Seitzer."

"Then let's get the hell-"

Just then, they hear a noise in the distance. Looking over, they see a CGUE painted in what appears to be an orange and green color scheme head to their direction using the jet thrusters. The machine immediately lands on the ground making a large thud around the damaged streets making the mobile suit pilots shake around in their cockpits.

When the shaking stopped, the pilots took a closer look right at the strange custom-made CGUE. Upon closer inspection, the pilots see a strange symbol plastered on both shoulder plates displaying a skull with an eyepatch crossing over the left eye while the right eye has an orange slit. Surrounding the skull are two reeds with the words "MILITIA" underneath the skull. The ZAFT pilots raised an eyebrow at this CGUE, not recognizing the unit on the shoulder plates

"Uh…did we actually have this guy on board with us for the mission? I don't seem to recall having a militia back home." Hearing Dearka's remark from the cockpit, he opens up his radio channels to communicate to the ZAFT elite pilot.

"Sorry to say but I don't work for ZAFT kiddo, I work for myself. Now then, let's talk some manners here, you ZAFT upstarts. Didn't your parents tell you not to make a racket around your neighbors when you were younger? Also, aren't you ashamed in attacking a neutral nation? This will definitely make ZAFT look bad in the spotlight."

"And who the hell are you to call us upstarts? For your information, this nation's neutrality is already gone the moment they aided the Earth Forces by manufacturing them in their own soil." The camera pans to Seitzer in his cockpit who narrows his eyes at the pilot for calling them upstarts. The pilot makes "tsk" noises at the GINN pilot making Seitzer grit his teeth in irritation. He already hates this pilot more and more.

"Point taken kid, I don't approve of war machines being built on neutral ground. But what I don't approve is the fact that you're placing these civies in danger! Don't think I'm not going to let you get away without a spankin' damn brats!"

"Get outta here! I'll handle this guy." ordered Seitzer. Matthew, however, objects to his comrade.

"The hell are you talking about?! We're not leaving you here to face this unknown pilot!" The GINN pilot, however, stands firm in his position, not budging one bit from his stance.

"Matthew, don't fight with me and do it! Those machines are top priority and must be taken to Commander Le Creuset alive and unharmed! Now get outta here while I take this guy on." Matthew is about to object until Yzak gets in the comms.

"He's right Matthew. As much as I don't want to leave him here, the mission comes first." Gritting his teeth, Matthew reluctantly escorts the pilots back to the _Gamow_ but not before turning back to Seitzer.

"Seitzer, you better come back alive!"

"Oh don't worry Matt, I'll be fine. Just make sure you get them back to the _Gamow_ before it's too late." The GINN pilot grins at him, reassuring him that he will be back in one piece. When they are out of sight, Seitzer turns his focus back to the pilot in front of him.

"Alright. Let's see what you got."

"Don't come crying to me when I kick your ass six ways till Sunday kid. You have a long ways to go before you can even call yourself a pilot and I'm about to show you something you've never seen before..."

The two mobile suits engaged each other in a duel to see who will come out on top.

* * *

Amidst the confusion and hell raging around the Morgenroete factory district, Kira and the blonde-haired visitor have made it safely outside the collapsed building. Looking down below, Kira and the visitor can only watch the firefight between Heliopolis security forces, armed Morgenroete workers, and ZAFT soldiers.

The blonde visitor looks down on the two machines still stored in the trailers. The sight made her weak at knees at the sheer sight of the war machines being produced at a neutral colony.

"Father, I knew it! You betrayed us all!" The blonde visitor had tears in her eyes, anguished at the betrayal her father committed. Kira was confused at her reaction but the commotion caused an armed female Morgenroete employee to turn around, aiming her rifle at them. Without a second thought, Kira grabbed the visitor by the wrist, running at the available shelters around the colony.

"Come on we can't stay here for long! It's too dangerous!"

As the two continue to run to the shelters, the woman blinked for a minute, stunned to see two teenagers running in the middle of a combat zone.

"Teenagers? What are they doing here in the middle of a war zone?" A shot ricochets from the metallic cover making her turn her attention on the fight ahead.

Kira and the visitor made their way to the shelters. Two of the shelters have red bars on top indicating they have reached full capacity. The third one, however, has a green bar indicating there is still some space left. The brunette student presses the call button, prompting a man to answer him from the other side of the line.

"Is there someone out there?"

"Yes. A friend and I need to get in." replied Kira.

"There's two of you?!"

"Yes."

"Argh, we're full over here. There are thirty-seven shelters in the left block of the factory district. Can't you and your friend make it over there?" Kira looks over to the damaged factory district before answering back at the other person on the line.

"I have a friend that's a girl. Take her instead and don't worry about me. I'll find a way over there."

"Alright pal, we'll make room for one more. Sorry that we can't accommodate the two of you." A yellow light appears on the panel prompting the shelter doors to open. Kira grabs the visitor by the wrist, pushing her inside the elevator.

"Hey what are you doing?!"

Kira did not answer her as he presses the button on the panel, closing the door. The elevator shaft brings down the girl, leaving him to run all the way to the other shelters. As he is running on the catwalk, he spots a ZAFT green coat rifleman taking aim right at the armed woman. The ZAFT soldier pulled the trigger only for it to jam. Not wanting to take any chances, Kira warns the woman from below.

"Look out! There's a ZAFT soldier taking aim at you!"

Whirling around, the woman fired a couple rounds onto the green coat soldier, killing him instantly. The woman glances up again to see the same teenager from before who was seen escorting a young blonde woman on the catwalk.

"It's him again? But why?"

Another ZAFT soldier on the ground fires his rifle at her making the woman jump to another position on the trailer. Ditching her rifle since she spent her last magazine, she pulls out her machine pistol, firing a couple rounds into the soldier dropping him instantly.

"Come down here!" ordered the woman from below.

"Sorry but I'm trying to make it to the shelters in the left block. Please ignore me!" said Kira. Unfortunately, all hopes of him making it to the shelter is shattered as an explosion. Leaving him no choice in another route, he took a leap from the catwalk, landing on the mobile suit before taking a roll.

"This way! I know another route to the shelters."

Meanwhile, Rusty and Athrun are taking care of the last remaining resistance on the ground. As the blue-haired elite pilot is reloading his rifle with a fresh new magazine, Rusty got shot through the head killing him instantly.

"Rusty!" Shocked and angered by this, Athrun steels himself to avenge his comrade. Running from his cover, he fires his rifle right at the soldier that killed him causing the man to drop on the ground dead. Murrue saw the lone redcoat ZAFT soldier and is about to take a shot at him. Athrun, however, is quick on the draw, firing a stray bullet at her, piercing her shoulder.

Kira, shocked by this, ran to her aid just as Athrun ditches his rifle and is about to finish her with his knife. As if fate decides to play a mean joke, the two childhood friends stared at each other in stunned silence.

"K-Kira?"

"Athrun?"

The reunion, however, fell short as Murrue weakly picks up her machine pistol, firing a few rounds only for them to barely touch the ZAFT soldier. Athrun backs away from the two before hopping in on his machine, the Aegis. The woman knocks Kira into the machine before the entire warehouse is engulfed in a raging explosion. Within a matter of seconds, the Strike and the Aegis stood from their trailers as the blazing inferno dance around the warehouse.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **And that is about it! We're getting a nice kick start to this series and I'll try to continue it to the best of my abilities. I have a somewhat busy schedule so please be a bit patient with me.**

 **Now that we have it out of the way, let's get straight to business with the story? The next chapter should be having a majority of Cooper's point of view in the story but we will have some snippets of different point of views within the story.**

 **Next point is BT's frame. I decided to have BT-7274 inside a CGUE because I like the design of the mobile suit in my personal opinion. Not to mention, BT's data core is a monoeye so it would make sense to have the CGUE as the new frame for out former Vanguard Titan. I know you guys like the Gundam-style frames but I can imagine Cooper having a hard time finding a slot to insert the BT's data core so I will stick with the monoeye-themed mobile suits.**

 **Sorry to disappoint you viewers.**

 **As for the story of how Cooper got the CGUE, it'll come up within the story so hold on tight for that. The only tidbit I can give you fellow viewers is that BT will operate with nuclear power since I will assume that Titan batteries have nuclear energy within them. Plus it will be logical since nuclear batteries will work in N-Jammer fields and gives the pilot much longer operating time in a fight than the regular batteries.**

 **Makes it easier for plot convenience sake.**

 **For the weapons, we'll stick with the SEED verse weapons. One of the reviewers from the test chapter I created did point out that it would be better if Jack does not have recreate the Titan weapons since it would attract unwanted attention from both ZAFT and the Earth Forces. Not to mention, those weapons would likely be destroyed in the process thanks to the blast radius from the Fold Weapon's destruction at the end of Titanfall 2.**

 **Will BT retain his Titan abilities? That's up to you guys if you want him to display his original ability such as the Vortex Shield or leave it. Then again the Fold Weapon would make it impossible for him to perform it since his systems would be fried from the blast but as I mentioned before, it's up to you viewers to vote either yes or no to this option.**

 **Anyways, this is all I have to say. There will be more chapters in the upcoming future so look forward to those and I'll try to upload some chapters when I have the time. Until then, see you on the next chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 **A/N:**

 **Sorry for the massive delay viewers. Did not mean to make you wait for that long since things were a bit busy but here it is as I promised.**

 **As for Seitzer in this story, he is just a made-up character so you do not need to look it up in Google in case you do end up doing searching for him. He is not part of the original Heliopolis strike team, if you can call it. He is just there as an extra to display Jack and BT fighting against ZAFT for the first time.**

 **As always, make sure to read the end of the author's notes to see some extensive stuff I have to say.** **So without further ado, let's get this party started!**

 **Legend:**

 **Hello – BT-7274 Speaking or Titan OS speaking.**

 _Hello_ **– Thoughts, computer logs, or flashback.**

Hello **– Radio communications, news media outlet.** **Disclaimer:**

 **Jack Cooper and BT-7274 and Titanfall 2 belongs to Respawn Entertainment while Gundam SEED mobile suits and characters belong to Sunrise and directed by Mitsudo Fukuda. I own my OC characters.**

* * *

As the civilians continue to evacuate to the shelters, a loud explosion has shaken the entire colony as if a dormant underground volcano decided to greet the people with a violent eruption. Coming forth from the smoke and flames in the destroyed factory district are two grey machines which surprisingly are undamaged from the explosion. The first machine landed with grace right behind the GINN while the second machine stumbled around the ground in a heaping mess.

"Yo Athrun! Took your sweet time getting your machine. By the way, where's Rusty?" remarked Miguel. The blue-haired elite soldier, however, gave him the bad news to his comrade.

"Rusty got killed in the firefight." Miguel chuckled humorlessly at what Athrun mentioned to him.

"Ha, ha, that's hilarious Athrun. Real hilarious. Rusty can't be killed by some Earth Forces soldier. Your eyes must be playing tricks on you or something." The ace pilot, however, is not laughing with his comrade.

"I'm not kidding Miguel. I was there when I witnessed his death. Anyways, an Earth Forces officer boarded the last machine in the destroyed factory." Miguel looks over to the other gray prototype machine struggling to get back on its two feet. He places the GINN's machine gun behind its back in favor of taking out its broadsword.

"Well if that's the case, looks like I'll have to pick up where Rusty left off. Athrun, I'll take that machine! You go on ahead while I take this Natural out. This won't be a long, difficult fight."

"Miguel, these mobile suits aren't your average GINN. These prototypes are armed with dangerous energy weapons and advanced armor." warned Athrun.

"I hear you but you need to get going! You still have a mission to uphold while I have a wannabe pilot to eliminate."

As much as Athrun wanted to protest about him killing Kira who is inside the Strike, he cannot let his personal feelings cloud his judgement. The Aegis lifts off to the nearest exit as the blue-haired elite soldier is readjusting and rewriting the terrible OS installed in the machine. When Athrun is no longer in sight, Miguel turns his attention to the Strike as it struggles to get back on its own two feet.

"I should be afraid of this prototype? Pfft, more like the pilot should be afraid of me. Let's see if you're even capable of beating a hotshot like me."

The GINN charges right at the Strike with its broadsword in hand, ready to land a blow.

* * *

On the other side of Heliopolis two ZAFT units are clashing at each other. Jack and Seitzer struck their swords against each other creating sparks from the friction between their metallic blades. Seitzer backs away from the pilot, pulling out his GINN's machine gun from the hip unit before firing at the custom CGUE. Then something strange and rather surprising happened. The CGUE unit outstretched its servo, activating some sort of magnetic shield absorbing all the bullets into the blue glowing particle. The shield turned colors from blue to red before releasing them.

The ZAFT pilot dodged the incoming bullets, though a few grazed the armor of his trusty unit. The pilot can only look at him speechless, not believing what he just witnessed.

"W-what the hell was that!? Since when can our CGUEs do such a thing?!" Jack, however, reprimands him for losing his focus.

"Hey this ain't the time to be gawking like a fish. I know my stuff's cool and what not but keep your head in the fight kid!"

As if to enact on his statement, Jack ran to the machine, striking it with a punch sending the mobile suit stumbling a couple feet. Shaking his stupor away, he refocuses his attention on the fight as the strange custom-made unit fires the machine gun right at him. Seitzer steps on the ignition pedal allowing his GINN to dodge the bullets coming his way while firing at him from the air. The unit caught the hail of bullets again in the strange shield ability before releasing it to the pilot.

"Dammit. This guy is tossing me around like a rookie in mobile suit training. Gotta turn this fight around or else I won't make it."

Seitzer's GINN lands on the ground again before leaping in the air to make another run. Cooper fired a couple lead shots at him only for the ZAFT pilot to maneuver around the incoming bullets as he fired his own machine gun at him.

Taking out the broadsword again, he lands his GINN on the ground before running at him, ready to engage him in close quarter combat. When he is close enough within striking distance, the young man has his machine lunge the broadsword right at the cockpit only for the custom CGUE to stand there, not dodging the blow or even blocking it. This puzzled Seitzer since the CGUEs are not made with advanced armor, but he nonetheless shrugged his shoulders at the pilot's action.

" _If he wants to die, who am I to deny him? Maybe I'll even get a promotion if I took down this custom CGUE._ "

When the sword made contact with the armor, sparks crackled from the friction. Jack grinned at the stunned reaction of the pilot as it backed away from the custom unit both in shock and fear.

"H-how the hell is that even possible?! Just how?! My sword should've sliced your unit's arm off!" The former Militia pilot chuckles at the stunned ZAFT pilot.

"What can I say? This custom unit is outfitted with a nice armor system that makes your blade pretty useless. Now it's my turn to make a move so pay close attention or you may not make it!"

The custom CGUE reared its arm unit before thrusting it at the GINN, with the fist making contact with its gas-mask helm. The unit stumbled right into a building, demolishing it to rubble. Seitzer groans at the punch since the force of the attack tossed him around his seat, making him dizzy in the process. Inside the cockpit, Jack looked over to the demolished building that the enemy GINN crashed into.

"Hey BT. There aren't any civilians in there, right?" asked Jack. The former Vanguard Titan took a scan before reporting back to his pilot about his findings.

" **Negative Pilot. My scans indicate no life signs detected in the structure. You do not have to worry about civilian casualties.** "

"That's good. I'm gonna have some nightmares if I end up killing a civie." The man breathes a sigh of relief. Despite being a tough, battle-hardened soldier, Jack still adheres to his late mentor's number one rule which he will stick until his last days: Never inflict a single civilian casualty in the midst of battle no matter what.

Looking over, he sees Seitzer's machine standing back up, albeit weakly. Jack made a whistle of surprise, and admiration at his opponent's stubbornness.

"Well will you look at that. Kid's still got some juice left in him. Determined to take me out, I'll give him that much." The former Vanguard Titan, however, does not share the same humorous sentiment as his pilot.

" **Pilot, this is not the time to admiring the enemy's resilience. We must stay focus and be prepared for any attacks he might inflict on both of us.** "

As the mass-produced machine stood up from the rubble, the ZAFT pilot glared at him from his cockpit in a heated manner.

"Argh, fuck you, you damn bastard! That's the last time I'm going to let you toss me around! You're going down if it's the last thing I do!" Jack snorts at him, rolling his eyes at his ever-so determined opponent.

"Get a reality check kid. You can barely get up from the ground, let alone land a hit on me. What makes you think you can beat me in a one on one fight? Here are two choices: leave or die. If I were you, I'd pick the first choice."

The ZAFT pilot, on the other hand, refuses to submit defeat to this hotshot who calls them startups.

"As if I'm going to lose to some upstart! You're dead!" The Militia pilot sighs at his stubborn opponent. He ever wonders if it is even worth asking his enemies to surrender knowing that they would not.

"Why am I not surprised? Have it your way kid. Let's wrap this up BT."

As Jack raises the CGUE's machine gun, Seitzer immediately fired two shots at the weapon with the bullets punching two holes rendering it useless. Seeing that his opponent's weapon is no longer usable, he charges with the broadsword right at him only for BT to strafe to the side. Quickly grabbing the sword from the hip, plunge the broadsword through the center of the mobile suit, piercing straight through the cockpit and through Seitzer himself, killing him instantly. The machine went limp as BT retracts the blade from the cockpit before leaping away from the downed machine.

A few seconds later, the machine exploded in a fiery blaze, engulfing some of the buildings around the doomed GINN in ashes.

"Heh, I still got it."

" **Indeed Pilot. Our combat rating efficiency increased to 99%.** " remarked BT.

"Aw, hoping for 100% but I'll take it what I can get. You sustained any damages during the fight?"

" **Analyzing frame…negative, I did not sustain any major damages other than minor gashes and scrapes around my armor plating. The only casualty within the fight is the machine gun I was wielding. It is inoperable now but I am still capable of fighting Pilot.** "

Jack shrugs it off since the machine gun is only good for shooting targets not equipped with advanced armor, like Phase Shift Armor.

"I'm not so worried about it. Those APSV rounds are only good for hitting enemy armor, ships, and mobile suits not equipped with Phase Shift Armor or whatever advanced armor system there is out there. Good thing we still have the Arc Round version which makes it easier for us to fight against those stolen prototypes. Let's head back at our warehouse to pick up some of our remaining gear."

Directing his machine to the warehouse, Jack steps on the ignition pedal, taking BT up into the air.

" **Affirmative Pilot Cooper. Marking your HUD to designate the fastest route to reach to our location.** "

Igniting the jet thrusters, the duo head straight to their warehouse. When they arrived, they are relived to see the place still intact. Then again, the warehouse is not located around the factory district so it did not sustain any major damage during the surprise attack. Entering in, the former Vanguard Titan went over to the armaments lying on the ground.

Said armaments consist of a modified MMI-M7S rifle configured to fire Arc Rounds used in the XO-16A2 Chaingun, and a modified MM1-M100 190mm Anti-Aircraft Shotgun used by the AMF-101 DINN firing armor piercing shells found in the 40mm Tracker Cannon. Again, more on the story of how Jack found and modified these weapons to fit his Titan-turned-Mobile Suit at a later time. The only armament that is not a weapon is a Guul sub-flight lifter which is used for units not built for atmospheric flight.

Strapping the anti-aircraft shotgun right behind the hip and the MMI-M7S rifle on the outer right thruster, BT and Jack left the warehouse until they heard another explosion within the horizon.

"BT, bring me a visual from that explosion." commanded Jack. The Vanguard Titan unit complies to his orders, quickly scanning the area where the explosion detonated using his data core. A few seconds later, he brings up a visual of the Strike sprawled on the ground with burn marks all over its armor.

"Huh will you look at that. Looks like ZAFT missed one."

" **My scans indicate two occupants within the cockpit of the GAT-X105 Strike. One is a Morgenroete employee while the other is a civilian. In fact, the civilian is the one piloting the GAT-X105 Strike as we speak.** "

Cooper made a noise of surprise as he heard BT's report. A civilian has already beaten an experienced military pilot on his first battle?!

"Holy shit, that's...wow. That's amazing for a non-combatant to score on his first fight. Anyways, let's head over to the Strike and see if they need any help or assistance. Those guys might come back to try and capture or destroy the unit." The former Vanguard Titan, however, does not seem to be enthused about such a decision.

" **Are you sure such a course of action is a wise decision Cooper? They will consider us a threat if they see another ZAFT unit approaching the Strike in its shut-down phase. They might consider us part of the ZAFT forces upholding the mission to steal Earth Alliance property.** " Jack dismisses his worries, reassuring him that he will convince them.

"Don't worry about it, BT. If you're so worried that they'll shoot us, leave the talking to me."

Folding the wings of the Guul, BT hugs the sub-lifter to his frame as he leaps into the "sky" of the damaged colony, heading straight to the Strike's location.

* * *

Outside in space, the situation is looking grim. The _Marseille III_ that entered through the spaceport is now destroyed as it rammed into the metallic beams of the spaceport thanks to Olor's GINN incapacitating the engines. The ship crushed itself like a pancake, killing all the crewmen and the captain in one go.

Even worse, Mu is the only pilot left fighting as the rest of his entire squad and the Heliopolis security team were taken out by the invading GINNs that launched from the _Gamow_ and _Vesalius_. Still, he is able to take out two of the three GINNs with his Moebius Zero leaving him with Olor's machine.

Speaking of which, the ace mobile armor pilot dodged the bullets spewing from the machine gun with grace while firing some shots at the enemy unit with the linear cannon. Olor dodged the energy beams before making another roundabout pass on the mobile armor. Once in position, he begins to let out another torrent of machine gun fire prompting Mu to dodge the shots in an erratic zig-zag pattern while trying to maintain a lock on the GINN.

"Just die already goddamit! You're way over your head if you think you can take me out with that scrap piece of metal!" Olor continues to pursue the orange mobile armor, firing at the unit to sink it down. The two units continue to exchange fire with neither of their shots making contact with the enemy's unit.

"Argh! Can't we do anything with this difference in firepower?!" complained Mu.

The ace pilot pressed a button on the control stick allowing him to release all four of its gun barrel pods, revealing a pair of linear cannons. The linear cannons begin to fire at Olor who promptly dodges for a few seconds before a shot from Mu's main linear cannon destroyed the machine gun. Olor has his GINN take out its sword only to immediately lose its arm in a split second.

"Damn! I can't believed I lost to a mobile armor. Time to cut my losses and head back to the ship." The ZAFT pilot retreats back to the _Vesalius_. As Olor makes his way to the ship, a _Vesalius_ 's crew member reports this to Captain Ades and Commander le Creuset.

"Captain Ades! Olor is retreating, heading back for an emergency return. Heading straight to flight deck six!"

"How could he lose in a simple battle against a mobile armor pilot?" Ades frowned at the news. It should not be a hard fight for a GINN to best a Moebius Zero in combat yet this one made the pilot retreat.

"It seems we have an annoying fly buzzing around the battlefield." says Rau, who on the other hand, knows this is not your average Earth Forces pilot but a rather skilled ace. Before Ades could ask him to clarify what he meant, another report came up concerning Miguel, Seitzer, and Athrun.

"Laser beacon from Miguel Aiman received! He is requesting an emergency pick up since his GINN is destroyed against the Strike! We lost Seitzer to an unknown enemy signature in the colony. Though, the good news is that Lieutenant Zala is heading straight to the Vesalius with the GAT-X303 Aegis in tow."

Now this caught the two officers by surprise. Although the masked commander is relieved that Athrun accomplished his mission, he is unaware nor pleased to hear reports of an unknown enemy unit taking out one of his soldiers or Miguel losing his unit to the Strike. He has to investigate this unknown unit and eliminate it before it becomes a threat to his plans. Lifting himself off his chair, he made his way to the elevator shaft.

"Get my mobile suit ready Ades and send a dropship to pick up Miguel. It seems there's a bit of a mistake in the information. I'll be investigating this further before this mission collapses in failure." The elevator doors shut, taking Rau down to the hangar where his silver CGUE is stored.

The masked commander got in his CGUE unit, activating the controls in the cockpit. The unit made its way to the catapult, with the launching cable attached to its back. Once everything is set, the CGUE launched from the catapult to the void of space, making a straight beeline to the colony.

Outside in space, Mu looks at the retreating GINN along with flares being fired from the two ZAFT vessels. Despite the retreat being made, a beeping noise is blaring throughout the cockpit. Taking a closer look, he spots a silver CGUE heading straight to Heliopolis. By looking at the unit, his sixth sense, or "gut feeling" as he calls it, picks up a rather familiar presence. A rather annoying presence he felt over the course of the war heading straight to Heliopolis.

"That unit…shit! Don't tell me, _he_ 's here!"

Immediately he steps on the ignition pedal of his mobile armor heading straight to the CGUE unit of his worst enemy. As he went straight to the mobile suit, his radio channel picks up Rau's taunting greeting.

"What a surprise to see you again, Mu! Though given the circumstances, this is some unlucky karma don't you think?" Mu grits his teeth as he fires the linear cannon from his Moebius Zero only for Rau's CGUE to dodge the shot.

"You bastard! I should've known you're the one responsible for this attack, Rau!" This made the masked man chuckle in a sinister manner making the Hawk of Endymion grit his teeth in irritation.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Assuming facts now are we? Even if it was my fault, the other party is also to be blamed. Heliopolis discarded its neutrality the moment it sided with the Earth Forces. Even worse, they agreed to manufacture those fancy toys in neutral soil. So who is truly at fault here?"

Rau's CGUE fired a couple shots prompting Mu discard the gun barrel pods of the Moebius Zero so that he can take down his arch nemesis. The auto cannons of the gun barrel pods fired continuously at the CGUE only for Rau to dodge them, taking cover behind a steel beam.

"If you think your words will get me distracted think again! I'm settling the score right here, right now! Only one of us gets to walk away and I know it's not you, Rau Le Creuset!"

"Then I'm happy to oblige in helping you meet your demise, Mu La Flaga!"

The CGUE immediately left its hiding spot, firing a few shots at the orange mobile armor. Mu's Moebius Zero dodged the shots before disengaging the gun barrel pods. Rau went inside one of the entrances leading straight into Heliopolis while firing distracting but accurate shots at Mu.

"Not on my watch bastard!" With that, Mu hotly pursued his enemy in the entrance, ready to get rid of his mortal nemesis once and for all.

* * *

Murrue stirred around the bench of the park to see a young woman with short brown hair and blue eyes around her late teens looking down at her with a relieved expression on her face.

"Oh thank goodness you're awake. Kira, she's waking up!"

Kira approached her as Miriallia went over to get a water bottle for her. Kneeling beside her, the woman tries to get herself back up only to wince in pain thanks to the gunshot wound on her shoulder. The student carefully laid her down on the bench to prevent the wound from getting worse.

"Easy there. We don't want you to aggravate the injury any further. Anyways, I wanted to apologize to you for my rash behavior. I got a bit carried away in there during the battle since a lot of things are going through my mind."

"I-It's fine really. You were scared since it was your first battle against a more experienced pilot."

Miriallia arrived with the water bottle, offering it up to her. Kira helped the brown-haired woman sit up as she gratuitously accepts it. As she is getting her bearings together, she looks up to see Tolle inside the Strike's cockpit while Kuzzey is on the right leg unit and Sai on the ground right in front of the deactivated machine.

"This is so friggin' awesome to be in a cockpit of a mobile suit! Man I can't wait to tell my friends that I got to be in one!" said Tolle. Sai, on the other hand, is not sharing the same excitement as his friend.

"Come on stop playing with it Tolle. It's not a toy, it's military equipment."

"No way man! I'm having way too much fun with this! Though why did the machine turn gray instead of the red, blue and white color?"

"Probably because it ran out of batteries or something?" suggested Kuzzey who is examining the fearsome humanoid machine for the first time. Alarmed, the brunette woman grabs her pistol, aiming at the metallic frame before pulling the trigger causing the teens to flinch from the loud crack.

"Off the machines, now!" ordered Murrue. Tolle and Kuzzey comply to her orders, regrouping with the others. Kira, regaining his bearings from the loud bangs, was mad that the woman he saved is now aiming her weapon at his friends.

"What are you doing aiming your gun at them?! They're the ones who pulled you out from the cockpit when you were unconscious!" She then aims her pistol at the brown-haired student causing him to glare at her heatedly.

"I'm grateful that you and your friends rescued me but this thing is top military secret. It's not something civilians should or are allowed to pilot."

"Yeah well Kira is the one piloting it and saved us from getting killed by that ZAFT unit. I don't see why you should be pointing a gun at us for that. At least a thank you would be much appreciated." Tolle rolls his eyes at her. She then turns her attention to the others with her gun still leveled at them. She motions them to regroup with Kira and Miriallia which they comply since it would be suicidal for them to argue with an angry and armed officer.

"Now tell me your names one at a time."

"Sai Argyle."

"Kuzzey Buskirk."

"Tolle Koenig."

"Miriallia Haww."

"Kira Yamato."

Just before Murrue could introduce herself, the sound of thrusters roared over the skies causing them to look up. What they saw stunned them. Heading straight to their position is a custom CGUE unit holding a guul sub-flight lifter with the machine slowing down as it neared the deactivated Strike before landing on the ground with a small thud.

Placing the Guul next to the Strike, the machine's blue monoeye takes a minute to look at them, examining their features down to the utmost detail. As you would expect, the machine's action unnerved them, making everybody tense under the monoeye optic. Murrue, however, stands her ground as she aims her pistol at the ZAFT unit.

After a tense minute has passed, the unit opens up its cockpit. Everybody braced themselves since they may be dealing with an armed ZAFT soldier hellbent on taking them out and steal the Strike. When the cockpit doors parted, the pilot hops out, using small bursts of his jetpack to slow his descent. Once the figure is finally on the ground, everybody took a closer look at the strange pilot before them.

Instead of seeing a ZAFT soldier wearing the normal ZAFT pilot suit, this individual is wearing a red leather uniform of some kind with body armor on top of it. The sleeves rolled back to his forearms revealing black and red exotic patterned tattoos. The individual has a scarf around the neck with hexagonal patterns on it. Strapped to his back is a rifle of advanced design with a scope attached on the rails of the weapon. Covering his head is a strange helmet with a blue x-shaped visor that looked like something out of a sci-fi movie.

The pilot looks at the group before looking at the woman holding a gun in her left hand.

"Oh what's this I'm seeing? Isn't it against the rules of combat to pull an armed weapon against a civilian who isn't part of a war?" said the stranger through the helmet radio. The brunette woman glares at him since she is not in the mood for jokes and games. She aimed her sidearm at the stranger who got out of the CGUE.

"State your name and your affiliation." The man takes his helmet off revealing his face to everybody.

"Geez at least say please when you're asking. No need to wag your gun at me to introduce myself to you guys. Anyways, name's Jack Cooper, pilot of this funky CGUE unit. Yours?"

"Lieutenant Murrue Ramius, I am part of the Earth Forces. Are you working for ZAFT by any chance?" The man shakes his head at her.

"Me? I don't work for those guys. Besides, I did kill one of their pilots in the fight so I highly doubt they'll welcome me with open arms. They'd probably shoot me on the spot before I can say anything to them." The woman breathed a sigh of relief. At least they do not have to worry about fighting him or his unit.

For now that is.

"That's a relief. Now as I mentioned before this-" The former Militia pilot, however, interrupted the woman breaking down the so-called secretive "G-Weapon Project" in simple terms to the kids.

"The G-Project is meant to even out the battlefield against ZAFT's mobile suits since they're kicking the Earth Force's sorry ass in the war. This unit here is the GAT-X015 Strike, a multipurpose mobile suit capable of fulfilling different roles in combat via Striker Packs. Those combat roles range from general purpose to CQC to long range support. Just like the other units in the G-Project, this one is equipped with Phase Shift Armor which protects the mobile suit from physical damage due to the electricity powering the armor making it harder for units using projectile weapons to take it down in one shot. It's not indestructible by any means since this armor system has its own weaknesses and drains a ton of battery usage but it's quite nifty if I have to say so myself."

The group just looked at him with their jaws wide open; more so Murrue than the others. Jack just chuckles at their priceless reaction.

"You know if you don't close your jaws, a fly can easily get in there, right? Besides, what's with the awed look on your faces? I did my homework so you can praise me or something." Shaking off her stunned stupor, Murrue demanded how this stranger got a hold of such sensitive data.

"How were you able to obtain such sensitive data? The security in those terminals would've made it impossible for you to hack it." The Militia pilot rolls his eyes at her. Truth be told, the Earth Forces security system is, for a lack of a better term, a joke. And that is putting it nicely.

"You call that joke of a programming your system security? No offense to you lieutenant, but those firewalls are fucking shit. It was so easy to bypass, even ZAFT managed to worm their way through those firewalls taking a closer look at the project before taking the colony by storm. Hell, even the IMC gave the brightest Militia tech heads a challenge in cracking the first security lock."

Despite his blunt words, everybody is quite curious when he mentions the IMC and Militia. They never heard about either military group which makes them wonder if Jack is either from a different world or just plain crazy. Many opted to go for the latter since traveling from one dimension to another is a far-fetched theory. You only see such things in movies or television.

"Oh and before you accuse me of selling this information to ZAFT which caused the whole colony to be attacked, I didn't do it. ZAFT purely acted on their own by taking the destructive route. I kept the information myself since I don't want anybody deemed untrustworthy to have this information. On my honor, I'm telling the truth."

The brunette lieutenant looked at him for a minute, finding out if there are any lies hidden behind his words or body language only to see none. Deciding to trust his words, she turns her attention to the rest.

"Well either way, I cannot any of you to leave since you're now exposed to a military secret. Most especially you Jack since you knew it from the beginning. Until I can reach the proper levels of authority, I'm afraid that you'll have to stay with us."

This caused everybody, minus Jack who saw this coming from a mile away, to react in a negative manner.

"The hell do you mean we have to stick with you!? You can't do that to us! You're not our boss lady!" shouted an angry Tolle. Sai nods in agreement with his words.

"With due respect, I have to agree with Tolle, Lieutenant Ramius. We're Orb citizens and are not involved in the military in any way possible."

Cooper looks over to Murrue who is about to silence them with her pistol aimed straight in the air. Before she can squeeze the trigger, he goes over to her, placing his hand on her arm making her and the others look at him in confusion. Shaking his head to not do it, he turns his attention to them.

"Alright, alright, let's calm down for a minute and settle this in a nice, civilized manner. I know you kids are upset about her orders. Hell, I'd be pissed if I were in your shoes but you have to understand something here. Lieutenant Ramius is taking precautionary measures since you saw a war machine that is not supposed to be seen by the ordinary civie. The moment you set your eyes on this beautiful prototype, you're became a security risk. Whether by accident or otherwise it doesn't matter. You're a security risk and that's that. Understand it, kids?"

As much as they did not want to agree, he did deliver a valid point. No matter what reason they throw out, they witnessed a military weapon which is not supposed to be exposed to anybody other than the top brass and to other personnel involved with the project. The lieutenant clears her throat, gaining everybody's attention to her.

"Thank you for explaining it to them Jack, but there's still some pressing matters to deal with. I need a couple volunteers to bring in trailer five containing one of the Striker Packs. It's located within one of the warehouses near where the mobile suits have been manufactured. Once you find the trailer, bring it here so we can get the Strike ready for combat."

"Anybody got a license?" asked Jack. Sai raised his hands up.

"Excellent. Kuzzey, Tolle, you two go over and accompany him. If it'll make you feel any safer, I'll have BT follow you from behind."

Everybody did not know who in the world this "BT" person is. Seeing their bewilderment plastered on their faces, the man whistles at the custom CGUE prompting the machine to turn around to face him. The action alone led many to drop their jaws to the ground. How could such a mobile suit still function, let alone move, if the pilot is not inside the cockpit? Not even ZAFT created such an advanced mobile suit to do such a feat yet the large mech known as BT does the impossible. Cooper snickers quietly at their shocked reaction, trying his best not to let his laughter get out of control.

" _Oh this is gold! I'd be racking up a couple credits by now if I start up this gig._ "

"I-is it me or did that machine just move by itself?" asked Kuzzey as he was the first one to break off his stunned stupor. Sai shook his head at him as he too witnessed something rather extraordinary.

"No you're not seeing things Kuzzey. It definitely moved by itself b-but how could that be possible if you're here on the ground!? A machine shouldn't be able to function without its pilot." Calming himself down, Cooper introduces BT to them.

"Well ladies and gentlemen, meet my friend and trusty ally, BT." The aforementioned mech approaches them before taking a knee to get a closer look at the college students.

" **Greetings young juveniles and Lieutenant Ramius. My designation is Bravo Tango Seven-Two-Seven-Four but you may call me BT. I am the AI that assists Pilot Jack Cooper in battle and as he mentions before, I am his friend and companion.** "

Everybody could dumbly nod their heads to the talking machine before looking at him for an explanation.

"You see, BT and I share a neural link together, meaning both of our minds are connected with each other. The neural link makes mechanized combat easier since you don't need to memorize a ton of controls, which your mobile suits have way too many in my opinion. As he mentions before, BT-7274 is a smart AI. He's capable of speaking to others, moving on his own and engaging others in combat when I'm not in the cockpit. When I'm in it, well you get the idea. Anyways, I got a mission for you BT."

" **Yes Pilot Cooper?** " The CGUE unit moved from the students to Jack before he knelt down a bit to meet his pilot at eye level.

"I want you to accompany Sai, Kuzzey and Tolle heading their way to trailer five which contains the Striker Pack for this mobile suit over here. Keep them safe at all costs and if there are any threats, eliminate them."

" **Protocol 2, uphold the mission. Assist Sai Argyle, Tolle Koenig, and Kuzzey Buskirk to the Morgenroete factory district and retrieve trailer five which contains a Striker Pack. Eliminate any potential threats that will harm them. Got it.** "

"Here, you'll need this if you want to start it. We don't have much time so please hurry." Murrue tossed Sai the keys who caught it with his right hand. Not wasting anymore time, the three young men found a parked military truck off to the side. Hopping in, the trio drove off with BT following behind them from with the MMI-M7S Arc Rifle in hand. Once out of sight, she turns to Kira to give him some instructions.

"Kira. I want you to hop in the Strike's cockpit and contact any surviving Earth Forces personnel. With luck, we can link up with some surviving personnel before making a plan."

The young man did not question her, doing as he was told while Jack took a seat. As the brown-haired student is contacting any surviving Earth Forces personnel, she decided to start a conversation with Jack.

"Hey Jack, I just wanted to apologize earlier for my rash behavior. It was out of line for me to do that." The man waves it off, not blaming her for her actions.

"It's fine. As I told the kids before, you're doing a precautionary measure. If I were in your shoes, I'd be alarmed if a stranger got wind of the G-Project firsthand before ZAFT did so I don't blame you. Besides, it's in the past and I'm not the type of person to hold petty grudges in the long run."

"Thank you."

Another moment of silence filled the air before Murrue decides to converse with the strange pilot.

"If you don't mind me saying this, I'm sort of curious from where you are, Jack. Judging by your uniform, you seem to come from a different military force. One that I've never seen or heard before."

Jack took a moment to gather his thoughts before giving his reply to her.

"Well I'm not from around here that much is true but I'm not going to say a ton since it's a long story. One that I'm not going to repeat over and over again. When we round up the survivors and get this situation all sorted out, then I'll talk."

With that, the conversation ended. The two did not say anything else until Kira hopped down from the Strike's cockpit with a disappointed frown on his face.

"I didn't receive any responses from any Earth Forces units. All I got was static. I'm not sure if we're still being jammed or if there's anybody left from the attack. Sorry about it."

"It's alright, Kira. We'll try again later." The woman reassured him with a sad smile. Kira took a seat next to the pilot as they are waiting for the trailer to come into view. Deciding to break the silence, he wanted to ask Jack about something in regards to his AI companion, BT-7274.

"Hey Jack?"

"Hmm?"

"If you don't mind answering this, did you actually create BT by yourself or did a group of computer programmers build him?"

Even Murrue is quite curious about it when it centers around Jack's AI companion. Never has she seen such an advance and rather complex intelligence program move a mobile suit on its own without its pilot. Much less, talk to people on its own.

"The latter. Only certified military programmers are allowed to build smart AI's like BT. While I have a good understanding of computer programming, I don't know half of the coding that went into BT's creation and frankly I probably don't want to know lest I want my brain to explode with information overload. Why?"

"Oh…hehe, I was just curious since I'm a computer programming student in Heliopolis Technical Institute of Engineering. That's all." The young man chuckled as he scratches his neck in embarrassment.

"It's fine kid. No need to be embarrassed since you're just curious." Just then, they hear the sound of a truck's engines whirling in the distance. The vehicle got closer revealing it to be trailer five with BT walking behind them. Sai hopped off the truck along with Kuzzey and Tolle.

"Sorry about that ma'am. We had to take a couple detours around the factory district since most of the roads were destroyed from the attack. Regardless, we have the Striker Pack here as your instructions. What do you want us to do with them?"

"Just leave the trailer there. Kira, I want you back in the Strike moving it here with the machine's back turned to the side of the trailer. Sooner we get it equipped for combat the better."

Kira went back to the cockpit. Entering in, he turned on the controls of the machine before maneuvering the Strike behind the trailer before taking a knee. The vehicle immediately opened up the trunk revealing the Launcher Strike.

"Which one is the Striker Pack, Lieutenant Ramius?" asked Kira.

"The whole pack goes with the Strike as one unit. Make sure everything in the unit is attached to it with nothing left behind. You can't function properly in battle if you leave one behind." said Murrue.

Just as the Launcher Strike is about to be attached, an explosion destroyed one support shafts. Emerging from the ball of fire is a silver CGUE unit with a Moebius Zero trailing behind it. The orange mobile armor, unfortunately, lost all of its gun barrel pods leaving it with its main linear cannon.

The ZAFT unit's monoeye darts over right at the Strike before taking out its broadsword attached to the side thruster. Just as the CGUE could make a beeline on the Strike, the Moebius Zero lifted its linear cannon to block it only for the pilot in the machine to slice it in half, destroying the mobile armor's last and only offensive weapon. The silver unit kicked the mobile armor away with its foot unit before focusing its attention on the Strike.

Seeing the threat, BT immediately fired a few shots to distract the enemy unit making it fly back a bit. The pilot of the unit tries to make another dash but BT again thwarted the pilot's run by firing a few volleys of lead from the Vulcan shield.

Amidst the distraction, Jack strapped on his helmet, running to BT who is keeping the machine busy firing electric rounds at the unit. When he is close to the former Vanguard Titan, BT picks him up, placing him in the cockpit. Getting on the mobile suit's radio channel, he contacts Murrue.

"Murrue, I'll handle this guy while you guys finish attaching the unit to the Strike. Don't take too long though." The woman nods at the pilot from the ground.

"That's fine Jack! Do what you must while we get the Strike ready." Looking back at the intruding unit, he cracked his neck readying himself for another fight.

"Let's get this show on the road. Come on BT, let's give these guys a glimpse of how a pilot fights his targets, Militia-style."

" **Agreed** **. Let's do this.** "

Jack ignites the thrusters of his CGUE making him go airborne. Seeing the CGUE making another pass as it ignores him, he fired a few arc rounds at the silver unit only for it to dodge them while maintaining his path on the Strike.

" _Damn it I need to drive the pilot away from the Strike before it's too late._ _I need to get in closer._ " thought Jack.

Activating a powerful burst from the thrusters, Jack and BT got close to the silver unit before delivering a sucker punch to enemy CGUE. The loud metallic bang echoed across the colony as the ZAFT machine went flying away from the Strike. Cooper did not stop as he pursued the enemy unit, firing some lead at the enemy unit. To his surprise, the silver CGUE regained its course, flying back to the Strike.

"This guy is ignoring me and persistent in sinking the Strike! Damn bastard."

" **Now is not the time to be complaining, Pilot Cooper. We have to uphold the mission in distracting the enemy unit before any harm falls on either the Strike and the people below us. If all fails, we will dearly pay the price in the long run.** "

"Right."

The duo immediately chased after the ZAFT CGUE, catching up to the unit with the powerful thrusters Jack installed on BT. The machine's crimson monoeye turned to the side to see his opponent still persistently chasing after him. Using the MMI-M7S machine gun, APSV rounds flew from the barrel only for Jack to dodge them while firing his modified rifle on the fly.

As expected, the enemy dodged the electrified bullets destroying some of the buildings and streets in the already damaged colony. Taking a daring and bold course of action, Jack immediately swoops down below, he ignites another small powerful burst flying ahead of the CGUE before flying up in front of the CGUE. Just as it was about to move to the side to destroy Strike, Jack has BT grab the unit by the arm unit before throwing the machine away. The CGUE went crashing to a nearby building, crushing it to rubble. The machine got back up, albeit weakly from the tremendous throw.

Deciding to give the enemy pilot a little bit of a greeting, Jack turns on the radio channel to contact him or her.

"I know you're listening pilot so pay attention because I'm not gonna repeat it twice. I'm your opponent here, not the Strike or its pilot. Continue to ignore me, I'll keep chasing and pestering you until you give me your full undivided attention. Understand? Good."

Not waiting for a reply, Jack flew right at the CGUE in burning speeds, taking out the broadsword to impale the cockpit only for the machine to immediately bring it out and block the incoming attack.

* * *

Inside the cockpit, to say that Rau is annoyed would be an understatement of the era. The man is downright livid at the horrible rate things are going within his personal mission in taking down the Strike.

He rendered his rival, Mu la Flaga, helpless after destroying the linear cannon attached to his Moebius Zero but now he is facing another opponent. An equally stubborn, skilled, and determined opponent at that. The one he assumes is responsible for taking out Seitzer in Heliopolis during the extraction phase of the mission.

Rau can tell if the pilot he is fighting is either a rookie or an experienced one by observing the movement of the unit. Judging by his movements, the enemy definitely fits in the latter category.

Sure, you can say that the masked commander is an superb ace pilot in the ZAFT Forces but even he cannot do such amazing feats that his opponent is demonstrating. Sure a mobile suit pilot can have his or her unit punch another unit but throwing? That in itself is a difficult move to execute, even by ace pilots. Almost as if the mobile suit is an armored extension of the pilot's body. This makes his priority of eliminating the final prototype mobile suit all the more difficult and rather frustrating as well.

Which brings to another point in adding more fuel to the commander's annoyance. The Strike is now in the hands of the Earth Forces. After reading up on the fighting capabilities of the machine, he initially hoped it would be in ZAFT's possession but with the machine now with the Earth Forces, it has to be destroyed. If he is not going to get the Strike, then neither will the Earth Forces. The masked commander is now determined to do everything he can to brush his opponent away before things can get out of hand.

"Very well. If you're so adamant in making me your opponent, then I'll gladly enjoy eliminating you!"

* * *

Jack is pushed away by the Rau's CGUE before his enemy takes out the machine gun, firing right at the unit. Much to the ZAFT commander's surprise, Jack has BT activate the Vortex Shield, capturing all the bullets before sending it back to the pilot. Never had Rau seen such an ability done by a ZAFT unit.

" _Impressive. The enemy pilot I'm facing has made my curiosity peak all the more. The machine gun his unit is equipped is firing electric-powered bullets instead of the normal APSV rounds. Also, the magnetic shield is another interesting feature in the mech. It makes me wonder how such a unit is capable of utilizing, let alone perform, this type of magnetic shield. Not even the brightest minds of ZAFT ever delved into developing electrified bullets or magnetic shields like this unit is demonstrating._ "

The ZAFT commander's musings have been cut off as the alarms within the cockpit warned him to dodge the incoming salvo. Just like the GINN from before, Rau's CGUE managed to dodge the projectile salvo, though barely since the volley went straight at him in a blaze of speed.

Taking advantage of the Rau's stunned stupor, Jack charges at him like a raging bull ready to skewer a matador. Nearing the machine, Jack has BT raise its arm, ready to execute a hit only for masked pilot to quickly block the strike with the vulcan shield. Cooper tries to push back at him only for his opponent to have his CGUE unit push him out. Rau then used the Vulcan shield's triple barreled machine gun, spewing out 28mm rounds at him. Jack did not even bother to block the shot since the armor of BT's new body is a combo of both the Titan armor and some Phase Shift Armor making those bullets ricochet off in different directions.

Seemingly impressed with the pilot's performance, Rau opens up his mobile suit's open radio channel to contact his enemy.

"I have to say mystery pilot, I'm impressed with the different armaments you have equipped with your unit. Most, especially with that magnetic shield and those electrified rounds you just unleashed. Tell me, how are you able to perform such an amazing feat?"

The former Militia Pilot knew the game he is playing so he is going to give him a vague yet truthful answer.

"Ever heard the old saying, magician never reveals his secrets pal? Since you're complimenting me nicely, I'll give you a tiny snippet of an answer: lots of hard work and tons of experimentation." The former Militia pilot fired a couple shots from his modified rifle making Rau's CGUE dodge them in a zig-zag pattern resulting in more districts inflicted with heavy damage.

" **Caution Pilot! Your shots may end up hitting the civilian shelters around Heliopolis! Such an action will provide unnecessary civilian casualties within this fight.** " warned BT.

"I know buddy. Let's take things up a notch shall we? If shooting him won't work, then let's see if he can outrun lock-on missiles…"

Activating the Multi-Target Missile System, which located on BT's CGUE chassis, Cooper painted a couple lock-on targets before unleashing a salvo of rockets. The masked commander's cockpit blared alarms, warning him about the incoming barrage heading his way. Using both his unit's machine gun and vulcan shield, he carefully and calmly fired right at the barrage taking down the incoming salvo which is an amazing feat in and of itself since those missiles are fast moving lock-on ones.

The destroyed missiles created a fairly large smokescreen. Utilizing this to his advantage, Jack swoops down low to get behind him. Rau's CGUE went through the smoke only to find his opponent missing.

" _So he used this as a diversionary tactic. Clever move on his part. Now where would he be hiding…_ " The CGUE's lone red optic scanned the area before hearing an alarm go off in his cockpit. Looking at the one of the viewing screens in the cockpit, he sees the custom CGUE charging at him with a broadsword in hand.

Quickly turning his machine around, he fired his vulcan shield at him only for Cooper to activate the Vortex Shield ability absorbing all the bullets in the blue magnetic shield. Just like before, the shield's color went from blue to red indicating that he is about to throw the projectiles back to the unit. Learning from his mistake, Rau's CGUE darted to the side, letting the barrage fly off in the distance before holstering the machine gun and meet the unit for some close quarter action.

Seeing the unit about to do a punch, Jack juked to the right before bringing his broadsword down only for the pilot to counter it with the vulcan shield. The machine quickly lifted its free arm, rearing it in order to perform another punch. The duo dodged the incoming strike before grabbing the aforementioned arm unit. With all its strength, Cooper has BT throw the unit before charging at the falling unit, ready to execute the final move.

Just as he is about to deal the final blow, Rau reacted at the last second by raising its vulcan shield to block the strike. The broadsword sliced the triple-barreled machine gun reducing the opponent's armament down to defensive usage.

The two continued to trade blows for the next few minutes, leading the fight to a stalemate as neither pilot yielded to the other.

"BT, what's the situation with the Strike?" asked Jack. Looking over to the side, BT's blue data core honed in on the Strike with the unit's Launcher Strike about to be attached to it.

" **Pilot, the Strike already has the Launcher Strike attached to the unit. They are still making some final adjustments to the Striker Pack before the unit is ready for combat.** "

"Good. At least they got it installed."

" **Should I go report to Lieutenant Ramius about accelerating the process with the Striker Pack adjustments?** " Jack shook head at the suggestion.

"Negative. One misstep and the weapons won't work. Worst-case scenario, the weapons blow up on the kid's face which can harm him greatly. We'll keep this guy busy while they try to get the adjustments and calibrations correct."

The former Militia pilot blocked the incoming shots from the CGUE's machine gun using the Vortex Shield before unleashing the salvo at the ZAFT unit. Dodging the salvo, the two continue to exchange blows in this deadly duel, ready to see which one will yield to the other.

* * *

Down in the underground sectors of Heliopolis, Ensign Natarle Bardgiruel and Chief Petty Officer Arnold Neumann arrived at the _Archangel_ 's bridge, getting ready to activate the ship's online systems.

"Status report?" asked Natarle.

"The only survivors are the few of us who were aboard the ship during the explosion. Most of them are just factory workers." reported Arnold.

"What about the ZAFT vessels outside Heliopolis?"

"Haven't figured out a plan ma'am. We were just assessing the situation around us after the surprise bombing."

Approaching the ship's main control pannel, the ensign pressed a few buttons before the screen opened up. The screen showed the _Archangel_ 's damage status which revealed to be minimal thanks to the advanced armor plating it is equipped with.

"The bombs ZAFT planted around the hangar didn't do much other than make a tiny dent. It'll take a lot more than a few bombs to sink it thanks to the advanced armor system." Arnold, however, revealed to the raven-haired ensign about that the exit is closed off.

"Though the harbor exit is completely shut thanks to the rubble blocking it. We're completely trapped." Before she could say anything, the doors leading the bridge opened revealing Jackie Tonomura, Dalida Lolaha Chandra II, and Romero Pal.

"I got them ma'am!" said Jackie.

"Good. Take a spot and follow whatever the computer tells you in the rebooting process. Once everything is back online, we are launching to aid any surviving Earth Forces personnel in Heliopolis or fight incoming ZAFT units." Arnold turned around, looking at her as if she lost her mind.

"With due respect ma'am, that second option is insane. We're in no way, shape or form combat ready! Not with the number of people on board!" The woman ignored his outburst as she is busy rebooting the small computers on the captain's chair located around the armrests.

"If you have time to argue, spend it on finding a way to do it. Morgenroete can still be attack you know. What you are suggesting is to ignore the fight that is currently going on outside and you know I cannot allow such a thing to happen."

"I know ma'am but still in this present situation…"

"Which is why we have to fire the main cannons once the ship is activated. You can do it can't you, Chief Petty Officer Neumann?"

Not wanting to spend any more time arguing with his superior officer, he took his seat, activating the controls around the control panel. The sounds of furious typing and beeping filled the air as the crewmen are rushing to get the ship ready to leave the collapsed hangar.

"Begin takeoff sequence! Due to urgency, we'll emit C-30 and L-21 from the process. Main power is online!" Neumann continued to finish up on his end before reporting back to Natarle.

"Ma'am, output increase stable. 450 seconds to require rating."

"Too long. Status on the conduits around Heliopolis?" said Natarle.

"Unharmed and stable!" reported Jackie.

"Excellent. Draw power from them and relay it to the accumulator!"

The crew continued to activate all the important systems within the _Archangel_. It took them at least ten to fifteen minutes, maybe even twenty thanks to some additional steps to get the power back to the white warship.

"All critical systems and weapons are green and ready to go ma'am but the exit is still shut off due to the rubble." reported Chandra as he is finishing activating the CIC system.

"If we don't have an exit, we make one. All hands, seal all airtight bulkheads. Be prepared for impacts and sudden damage to the ship! _Archangel_ , proceed to take off slowly!"

The _Archangel_ activated its thrusters, using minimal power to make sure the debris did not damage the ship extensively. Nearing the gate, the _Archangel_ 's two "legs", if you can call it, opened up revealing two massive cannons. These massive cannons begin to jut out from their confines, gathering red energy at the barrels.

"Fire assault cannons as we reach maximum battle speeds!" ordered Natarle. The _Archangel_ 's cannons fired right at the gate, destroying it in a massive explosion.

* * *

Outside Heliopolis, everybody heard the massive rumble of an explosion erupting from below the colony. They all stopped what they were doing, even Cooper and Rau stopped their fight to witness the massive fireball with two large red beams of energy soaring through the explosion.

Once the beams dissipated, they witnessed a massive white warship majestically soaring through the cloud of smoke and blazing fire like an angel emerging from the flames of Hell in triumph.

"Whoa…that's a beauty right there."

" **My** **aesthetic assessment agrees with you Pilot Cooper. This is an Earth Forces prototype warship, the** _ **Archangel**_ **.** "

"The _Archangel_ huh? Definitely fits the name but how come we haven't heard this warship? I thought the G-Project units are the only ones manufactured here."

" **The information, like the G-Project must have been secured through the same network. Pilot Cooper, you were only interested in the prototype units while you did not show any interests in warships. Hence why you did not hear the development of the** _ **Archangel**_ **.** "

The man chuckled sheepishly at BT's point before focusing on the current situation at hand.

"Erm, point taken. Anyways, let's make sure the CGUE pilot doesn't get any funny ideas about sinking the ship."

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Phew another chapter done. Sorry for the delay ladies and gentlemen. I've been a bit busy with school and other stuff so I haven't been able to work on my story but nevertheless, I'm finally done with this chapter. I had a few writer's block cases here and there in the story but now that I went back and added a few stuff in the chapter, I think it should be good.**

 **On that note, let's talk a couple things about this chapter that you may have noticed as you were reading along.**

 **For the modified MM1-M100 190mm Anti-Aircraft Shotgun, it will function exactly the same as the 40mm Tracker Cannon.** **The MMI-M7S machine gun will be outfitted with Arc Rounds. If you don't know what Arc Rounds are, they are basically electric powered bullets that can drain a Titan's shield and inflict some serious damage. I figured, since the Phase Shift Armor uses electricity to prevent the mobile suit's frame from gaining any damage, I figured, why not combat it with electric-powered bullets? As the saying goes, fight fire with fire.**

 **The Acolyte Pod will remain on BT since it is the signature weapon of Vanguard Titans. It would look strange for an MS to have those missile arms sticking out of its back when activating it so I decided to mold the pods in the same shape as the AMF-101 DINN. The aerial unit has them on each side of the chassis so I figured, why not do the same for the CGUE.**

 **During the chapter when Jack and BT are fighting Rau le Creuset, the two remained airborne the entire time. You have to remember, the skies in Heliopolis are fake since it is a space colony so it would make sense for mobile suits not built for atmospheric flight to stay airborne for longer periods of time.** **Though the Guul will remain with them since the CGUE is not meant for atmospheric flight. Even if it is custom, it would still need a Guul to keep it airborne.**

 **Anyways, that is all I have to say and please do give some constructive criticism in the review section to see where I need to improve. No flames please because those will not help me figure out what I'm doing wrong.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 **A/N:**

 **Really got nothing to say other than you guys really liking the Titanfall 2-Gundam SEED crossover so I will continue to write more chapters for you guys!**

 **Anyways, without further ado, let us get this party started!**

 **Legend:**

 **Hello – BT-7274 Speaking or Titan OS.**

 _ **Hello**_ **– Thoughts, computer logs, or flashback.**

 **Hello** **– Radio communications, news media outlet.**

 **Disclaimer:**

 **Jack Cooper and BT-7274 and Titanfall 2 belongs to Respawn Entertainment while Gundam SEED mobile suits and characters belong to Sunrise and directed by Mitsudo Fukuda. I own my OC characters.**

* * *

 _Jack Davidson Cooper's Logbook 1.1_

 _I never thought ZAFT, of all people, would have balls made of steel to invade a neutral territory such as Heliopolis. Then again, if the Earth Alliance decided to build their "secret" machines, you'd probably storm the place regardless if it was neutral or not_

 _After all, you mustn't let the enemy gain the upper hand when it comes to war._

 _Regardless, the EA already lost four mobile suits to ZAFT which are the Duel, Blitz, Aegis, and Buster. Luckily, we were able to prevent them from grabbing the Strike or else we'd be screwed._

 _Speaking of the Strike, much to my surprise, the mobile suit is piloted by a kid of all people. He was even able to get his first victory against a military pilot which is quite amazing in and of itself. Never thought a civie would be able to pull something like that but there's some sort of spark within him that's waiting to be lit. The same spark Captain Lastimosa saw in me when he was training me to become a pilot. I don't know why I'm feeling that way but the spark is definitely in there._

 _Anyways, that's all I have to say. I have a persistent bastard to take down before he tries to make any sort of attempt on either the Strike or the Archangel._

 _Jack Cooper, Pilot of BT-7274, 41_ _st_ _Militia Rifle Battalion._

* * *

Everybody stared in stunned silence, witnessing a massive white warship soaring in the air with smoke trailing said vessel. From his standpoint, the young student assumes it is not an enemy vessel since the ship emerged from Heliopolis's interior. If it were a ZAFT warship, it would have blasted its way into the infrastructure of the colony, not caring if its weapons hit a civilian or not.

" _Still it raises a question: Is it friend or foe?_ " The young man's musings were cut off with Murrue is contacting him from the ground.

"Kira! Move the Strike closer to the Launcher Strike Pack so that we can get it setup for combat usage. We don't have much time!"

"R-right. On it."

* * *

While the Strike is being armed, Rau looked over at the new addition on the battlefield with a frown on his face. The appearance of this warship already added more to his growing frustration.

"Looks like the strike teams failed to take out the _Archangel_ in the initial phase of the mission. No matter, I'll finish what they started and sink it. I wonder how strong this vessel can withstand APSV rounds…"

Loading a new magazine in the machine gun, the masked commander charged right at the warship with Cooper chasing him hotly in his trail.

"Oh no you don't! I'm not done with you so come back here!" Jack fired a few rounds from the arc machine gun only for Rau to dodge them, and let loose a torrent of lead right at the vessel. To his dismay, the bullets prove to be ineffective against the armor since they ricocheted in different directions.

The masked commander turned his unit around, blocking the electric rounds flying out of his enemy's machine gun using his vulcan shield. He fired a couple distraction rounds at Cooper's machine as it went passed him before flying off in a different direction.

Rau's CGUE circled around, looking as though it is about to make another strafing run at the warship. It seemed to do so until he changed directions gunning directly at the Strike. Jack chased after him, reloading the rifle in the process. Once a fresh new batch of electric bullets are in the machine gun, he fired right at the silver CGUE only for it to do a barrel roll before aiming its machine gun right at the multi-purpose prototype.

" **Pilot, the enemy is heading straight to the Strike! At the rate we are going, we might not be able to prevent him from eliminating the unit!** " warned BT.

"I'm trying my best BT but this guy is fast! Kinda reminds me of a particular speedy mercenary back in Typhon!" retorted Cooper.

When the CGUE got within closing distance, Rau opened fire on the Strike prompting Murrue and the other students to duck for cover. Kira quickly moved in with the powered-up machine to protect them from getting torn to pieces from the incoming bullets. Just like the ship he fired on, the bullets did not do any major damage on the mobile suit since they are useless against Phase Shift Armor.

"Not even enhanced APSV can make a dent on the mobile suit? How can the EA fix these units with such armor?" His musings were cut off as the cockpit's alarms blared wildly, warning him about incoming shots heading straight at him from the enemy CGUE unit. Seeing the unit take an upwards direction in the air, Cooper activated the Multi-Target Missile System, painting as many lock-on targets as he possibly could before releasing a salvo. Rau took down a few before using his vulcan shield to block the rest. The warheads crumpled the armament prompting the man to take off the useless device from his machine.

Not wasting any time, the _Archangel_ locked onto their target via laser designator before opening up a few compartments containing Wombat missiles before releasing the warheads right at the silver unit. Hearing the blaring alarms, Rau broke off his engagement with Cooper, destroying one Wombat before fleeing away from the rest. Losing their target, they went soaring around the colony, colliding with the nearest structure they could find which ended up being the walls of the aging colony.

To their horror, they watch the fragile walls crumble before them, rendering the colony in a vulnerable state. Kira, enraged by the events unfolding, raised the Strike's hyper impulse cannon at the ready. Locking on to his target, he pulled the trigger of the large cannon, releasing a powerful torrent of red energy right at the CGUE unit. The red beam nailed the mobile suit, incinerating its arm in the process but it did not end there. The highly concentrated red beam traveled all the way to Heliopolis's superstructure, creating a rather giant hole revealing the black environment known as space.

Kira can only stare in stunned silence, witnessing the destructive and heavy power it inflicted in his homeland. Jack, on the other hand, is not so surprised at what he witnessed since he knew that beam would not stop in its current trajectory. He has seen his fair share of destructive guns in the Frontier War and the hyper impulse cannon is quite up there with a few he can think in his mind.

"Quite the cannon. At this rate, the colony wouldn't hold itself for much longer."

" **Agreed on that assessment, but there are more pressing matters at hand. The enemy unit is retreating Heliopolis into space. Should we pursue the enemy, Pilot Cooper?** " BT showed him a visual of Rau's CGUE unit leaving the colony, smoke trailing from the missing arm.

Knowing one answer to such a question, Cooper decided to give the retreating machine a parting gift from their fight. Raising the rifle, he aims at the leg unit, the Militia pilot fired a few rounds with the electric bullets piercing through the armor before destroying the leg in the process. The machine faltered in its path for a moment before continuing its retreat from the colony, smoke trailing from the now lost leg thanks in part to Cooper destroying it.

"Simple BT, we leave a parting present for the bastard. I don't leave a fight without hitting something, be it a weapon or a body part. Still, I don't think it'll be the last time we'll see ZAFT."

" **A reasonable assumption. By making their ace pilot retreat from Heliopolis and damaging his mobile suit extensively, with Kira's Agni Hyper Impulse Cannon, and the arc rounds in the standard MMI-M7S, the ZAFT forces will not 'let us off the hook' as you aptly put it.** "

"Not to mention, they'll probably try and mimic some of the Titan tech in their mobile suits. Whatever the case may be, we'll take on whatever they dish out at us." Cooper said to BT in a confident manner. He faced impossible odds during his tour in Typhon and this war is no different.

Looking over at one of the side screens of his cockpit, he sees the _Archangel_ land right next to a destroyed Morgenroete facility. They also see the Strike already landing on the _Archangel_ 's catapult carrying Murrue, Miriallia, Tolle, Kuzzey, and Sai with both servos.

"BT, let's get our stuff before hitching a ride over at the _Archangel_."

" **Affirmative.** " says the former Vanguard Titan in agreement. The duo flew over to grab the guul sub-flight lifter before heading over to the _Archangel_.

* * *

Back in the hangar dock in the _Vesalius_ , Athrun is busy readjusting the Aegis's OS system. As he is rewriting the OS, he cannot help but be amazed at the contradiction of the Earth Forces making splendid machines yet have terrible programming installed in these mobile suits.

"It still boggles my mind how the Earth Forces are capable of producing such a war machine yet have a terrible OS installed in it…" Just then, a mechanic floats by him, stopping before the open cockpit of the Aegis

"Sorry to bother you Lieutenant Zala, but are you done over there? We're about to start doing some maintenance work on your machine." The navy-haired elite soldier nods his head at him.

"It's fine. I was about done recalibrating the OS anyways."

The hangar alarms blared as the catapult opened up. Coming in was Rau's CGUE unit with a missing leg and arm along with some dents around the suit's frame. This shocked the mechanics and Athrun himself since they never saw their commander's unit that badly damaged. Usually the only repairs they have to worry about are dents but never missing limb units.

"The commander's unit lost an arm and a leg?! How the hell does that happen?!" commented one mechanic.

"I don't know but we need to repair his CGUE. The sooner we get the commander's unit ready for combat, the better." says another mechanic. While a team of mechanics begin initiate some repairs on Rau's unit, Athrun's mind goes back to Kira.

" _Could it be you Kira? Is it possible that you're the one who damaged Commander Le Creuset's machine? No it couldn't be him. He couldn't possibly do something like that when he just hopped in a mobile suit for the first time._ "

Cutting his musings short, the elite soldier left the Aegis, heading back to the bridge to meet up with his superior officers and teammates.

* * *

Aboard the _Archangel_ , the duo landed on the catapult. BT placed the guul on the ground and the modified MM1-M100 Anti-Aircraft Shotgun on top of the sub-flight lifter while Kira lowered the Strike's servos to let everybody off the unit. Before leaving the cockpit, Jack saw his screen showcase a few pop-up boxes telling him to readjust or merge some features between the Titan's OS and the CGUE's OS.

"You gotta be kidding me. I thought I already readjusted some of these modules last night. Man this is going to be a pain in the ass." Groaning in frustration, he gets to work with the programs.

While Jack stayed inside to make those adjustments, Murrue hears a familiar voice call out to her in the distance of the catapult bay.

"Lieutenant Ramius!" She looks over to see the rest of the _Archangel_ 's crew running to them. Natarle stood before her, offering her salute with the latter returning the gesture.

"At ease, Ensign Badgiruel." said Murrue. With that, the raven-haired ensign dropped the salute with a relieved smile on her face.

"I'm glad you're alright ma'am. We thought we lost you in the chaos."

"Same here though I'm pleased to see the _Archangel_ safe from harm. You definitely saved us back there. Without your assistance, we may not have survived long."

Natarle then looks over to the students and then to the two mobile suits, more particularly with the custom made CGUE unit.

"Mind explaining what's going on here, Lieutenant Ramius?" asked Natarle, turning to look at her superior with a questioning look.

Before the woman could explain to her, the hissing sound of the Strike's cockpit opening up grabbed their attention. The _Archangel_ 's staff can only look in disbelief as Kira propels down from the cockpit to meet up with the rest of his friends who ran to him with relieved expressions on their faces.

"You okay Kira? You seem to be a bit pale." said Tolle, looking at him with a bit of concern.

"I'll be fine. A bit shaken up but I'll be fine."

While that was going on, the CGUE's cockpit opening up, producing a vibrating exhaust noise. When the doors parted, Jack lunged from the cockpit before using small bursts of his jetpack to slow his descent. When he landed on the ground, the Militia pilot turned to the custom CGUE unit giving him a thumbs up.

"Thanks for saving me from that nightmare BT. Probably would've been stuck there in the cockpit without your assistance."

Much to their shock, except for Murrue and the teenagers who witnessed BT a while ago, the CGUE engaged in a conversation with him.

" **No problem Pilot Cooper. You are still getting used to some of the new features in a mobile suit's operating system. As I mentioned before, if you need my assistance to anything relating to other matters aside from combat, do not hesitate to ask me.** "

"I'll keep that in mind. Still, thanks for the assist."

Turning around from BT, he sees Kira and his friends safe and sound. Ignoring the shocked stares from the _Archangel_ crew members, he went over to them.

"Nice to see you kids safe and sound. You look fine physically but I think you're still shaken up after the fight." Sai nods his head at him.

"More or less, Cooper. Still, if it weren't for you, we probably wouldn't be here. Thanks for protecting us." He nonchalantly waves it off, placing an arm over Kira's shoulder.

"No problem Sai but if you have anybody to thank for, it's Kira over here. After all, the kid used the Strike as a shield to prevent a single round touching you. If it weren't for him, I doubt you'd be be here." The teen just scratched his head in a sheepish manner from Jack's praise.

"N-no problem Jack. Still, you did the majority of the work in distracting the ZAFT unit so the majority of the credit goes to you. For that we are thankful."

"But you and that ZAFT unit were locked in a stalemate! I know you're a cool pilot and all but, damn I didn't expect you to be that skilled!" said Tolle who had stars in his eyes as he and the others witnessed Jack fight the silver ZAFT unit in Heliopolis. The man just chuckles at the young man.

"You know the old saying, practice makes perfect. To be honest, I wasn't that skilled when I became BT's pilot. I just learned how to be an efficient one on the fly. Just ask BT. He's the one who knows it." BT nods his helm to the college students.

" **I can affirm to what Jack says is true. Initially, he had a bit of trouble when he became my new pilot but in a short amount of time, he adjusted quickly and comfortably. His skills matched those of an experienced pilot.** "

While the interaction between Jack and the college students is still going on, one of the _Archangel_ 's staff members, Chief Mechanic Kojiro Murdoch, tries to wrap his head about what he just witnessed.

"You gotta be kidding me. First, a kid who barely knows how to shave, is the one piloting the G-Unit. Then all of a sudden, a pilot in some strange getup hops out of a ZAFT unit with said unit engaging in a conversation with the pilot and the kids. Just what the hell is going on here?"

A whistle echoed around the catapult bay making everybody look towards the source of said whistle.

"Well, this is quite the lively party alright and I'm glad I'm not late. Quite impressive if I have to say so myself."

Approaching them is a man around his late twenties early thirties with blonde hair wearing a purple and black pilot suit with his helmet tucked to his side walking over to them. The man gives them a smile as he salutes them.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Lieutenant Mu La Flaga of the Seventh Orbital Fleet." Natarle, Murrue and the rest of the _Archangel_ 's staff saluted back to the famed Hawk of Endymion.

"Lieutenant Murrue Ramius of Sector Two Fifth Special Division."

"Ensign Natarle Badgiruel, same division." Mu lowered his salute before looking for an authoritative officer in charge of the vessel.

"With intros out of the way, I want to know who's in charge here? I'd like authorization to board the _Archangel_." Natarle, however, looked down with a frown on her face.

"The assigned captain and all top officers died when the explosion went off in the hangar."

"What..." Murrue widened her eyes in disbelief at the breaking news from the raven-haired ensign.

"Therefore, by proper chain of command, Lieutenant Ramius will now be in the position of responsibility of the _Archangel_ and her crew. Only a dozen of us or so are left manning this warship, Lieutenant La Flaga. Mostly non-commissioned officers and a handful of factory workers who survived the initial attack." Mu sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose at the bad news.

"Oh boy, what a disaster. Regardless, I would like permission to board the _Archangel_ , Lieutenant Ramius. The ship I came in has been shot down in space."

"Oh…right…permission granted Lieutenant La Flaga." Murrue granted him permission to board despite the fact that she is still unsure whether or not she can live up to the new responsibility she is now given.

Mu took a glance over at the teenagers and the custom CGUE unit with strange markings on the machine that he has never seen before. Such as the Militia insignia on the unit's frame.

"And who are they?" asked Mu. Looking over to Jack and the college students, Murrue answered him.

"As you can see they're civilians. Well, all of them except for Jack. He and Kira are the ones who drove away the two GINNs during the initial phase of the attack but Jack is the one who distracted the CGUE as we were arming the Strike for combat."

"I see. What happened to the other pilots assigned to the G-Units?" said the man as he still examines the two aforementioned pilots with his blue eyes.

"They died within the initial attack as the Captain was welcoming them in. Even the reserve perished in the ensuing blast." said Natarle. Mu absently acknowledges the news, looking at Kira for a good minute.

"Hey kid, sate my curiosity will you? You're a Coordinator right?" The brunette teen hesitates to answer the man before slowly nodding his head to him.

"I am."

The answer caused the majority of the _Archangel_ 's staff members to gasp in shock while his friends tensed with worry. Jack, on the other hand, palmed his face, groaning in frustration already figuring out where this is going. "Fuck, he had to ask it of all times..."

"Coordinator?!" remarked one EA soldier.

"Shit! So that means he's with ZAFT…" remarks another. Tolle stood in front of Kira, defending him from the glares given by the soldiers.

"Hey stop it! Sure, he may be a Coordinator but he's not with them! He's an Orb citizen so I don't see why you guys are worked up over something trivial!"

This prompted the soldiers to raise their rifles at them which prompted Cooper to coolly take out his Hemlock rifle while BT does the same, aiming the modified MMI-M7S machine gun at them. They can hear the safety switch turned to the other direction making some of the EA soldiers diverted their attention from Kira to the pilot and the CGUE unit.

" **Protocol 3: Protect the Pilot. Eradicate targets before they can shoot at Pilot Cooper.** "

The man grins when he sees the Earth Alliance soldiers starting to shake in fear at the AI-controlled mobile suit. "You hear that gentlemen? My partner wouldn't hesitate to pulverize you to red mist. Now let's be reasonable and lower your rifles because if you don't, then I'll provide the crowd with a nice, grizzly show. Your pick."

Deciding to defuse the situation before it violently escalates, Murrue steps in between the two parties.

"Stand down and lower your rifles men! The children and Jack are not the enemy." ordered Murrue. The soldiers hesitated for a minute before complying to her order. Jack and BT did the same before the former shoots them a taunting grin making them glare at him in a heated manner.

"Lieutenant Ramius, please explain yourself!" Natarle turned to her superior officer with a demanding look on her face. The woman gently smiled a bit, turning her attention to Kira.

"Don't be so shocked, Ensign Badgiruel. Heliopolis belongs to a neutral state so it's not startling to see a Coordinator coming here to avoid the war at all costs. Am I wrong Kira?" The young student agrees with her assessment.

"No, you're right Lieutenant Ramius. Especially with me being a first-generation Coordinator."

"Meaning your parents are Naturals. Well sorry for causing such a stir, I was just curious that's all." Scratching the back of his head in a sheepish manner, the man apologized to everybody about making such a fuss. The former Militia pilot gives a sigh of exasperation, glaring at the famous mobile armor pilot for pulling such a stunt.

"Uh huh and look where that curiosity lead to, Hawk of Endymion. Christ, you should've known better than stirring up a hornet's nest. Nearly got Kira riddled with lead. Haven't you heard the saying think before you speak?!" Mu looks over to the pilot who is taking off his helmet revealing his face to everybody.

"And you must be Jack, yes?" The man nods his head as he extends his hand out to the man.

"Name's Jack Cooper, I'm just your friendly neighbor mercenary. Never thought I'd meet you face-to-face, Mu La Flaga." Grasping his hand, Mu gave him a firm handshake.

"Pleasure's all mine Jack. So...a mercenary eh? How's it treating you?"

"Not too bad, not too bad. If anything, my contractors pay me rather well. And before you jump to conclusions, I'm not a merc who goes around killing civies indiscriminately because that's not my thing. I just do errands from busting criminal syndicates to doing some military stuff and all the works. Get me?"

"Uh huh. So what brings you along here in the _Archangel_?"

"Well I was about to ask-"

"Permission denied." Jack turns around to look at Natarle straight in the eye, clearly not pleased at being denied outright when she just handed Murrue command over the ship and her crew members.

"You and your machine aren't allowed to be on board the _Archangel_ since this is Earth Forces property. I cannot have mercenaries board on military hardware without permission from high command as Earth Alliance Protocol 27 dictates. For all we know, you may be employed by ZAFT to provide crucial information to them and when you are done, kill us at the opportune moment. As such, you are hereby denied access to the _Archangel_."

The Militia pilot instantly frowned at the ensign's attitude. He can tell he is not going to get along with this woman right from the get-go. Cracking his neck, he speaks to the rather rude woman.

"Well you know what I'm going to say to you ma'am? Fuck you bitch and fuck your damn protocols."

This made everybody freeze in their spot, staring at the man for his audacious behavior.

"BT and I are gonna hitch a ride in the _Archangel_ whether you like it or not. Military property or not, we saved your sorry asses from that lone ZAFT pilot trying so I think boarding the ship is a reward we richly deserve."

He then points his thumb at Murrue's direction.

"Besides, you're not the one calling the shots, Murrue is. You did say she's the commanding officer responsible for the _Archangel_ so you're just undermining her authority which is a strict violation from the Earth Alliance handbook. For a military lady like yourself, you sure forgot the number one rule. Looks like you still have a lot to learn before you start spouting me some BS military protocols."

Everybody just stayed silent, looking at the Militia pilot for his again audacious courage/stupidity depending on the viewpoint. Mu and Tolle are snickering at the small show displayed for them.

" _Oh shit, this is gold! He and I are going to get along pretty well alright._ " thought Mu as he tries to calm himself down.

"Did he actually call Ensign Badgiruel what I think he just called her?" asked one Earth Forces soldier.

"I think he just did." another one commented to the first soldier.

"This guy definitely has balls of steel to call her a bitch. Time to salute a brave soldier." remarked a third EA soldier.

Natarle's face went red in rage at Cooper's audacity to call her something so degrading. It only added more fuel to the fire to see him give her a smug grin. She is tempted to grab a rifle from one of the soldiers and shoot him dead on the spot but she fought it back. She is not going to give him the satisfaction of losing her shit in front of the mercenary pilot.

"What did you call me?" asked Natarle in a deathly cold manner. The former Militia pilot did not even flinch at her tone, widening his mocking grin in return.

"Oh I'm sure you heard me loud and clear bitch because let's be honest, you're acting like one."

"Why you-" Murrue raises her hand, silencing her before this petty quarrel gets out of hand. She gives a sigh before looking at the two.

"Enough you two. Ensign Badgiruel, I'm granting Cooper and BT permission to board the _Archangel_. As for you, I don't want you to antagonize her any further than you have to, especially if we're in the middle of combat. Understand?"

Natarle complies to her order while Jack shrugs at her.

"Can't promise you anything if she keeps up that attitude. Besides, I'm gonna call it how I see it. She is one." Murrue pinches the bridge of her nose but nonetheless accepted his answer. She will have to take whatever she can get.

"Oh, and before I forget, meet my trusty friend and companion. BT, say hello to them." Moving to the side, BT approached them before kneeling down at their level.

" **Greetings _Archangel_ personnel, Ensign Badgiruel, and Lieutenant Mu La Flaga. My designation is Bravo Tango Seven-Two-Seven-Four but you may call me BT for simplicity's sake. I'm Pilot Cooper's AI, assisting him in matters concerning both on and off the battlefield. It is a pleasure to meet all of you despite the grave circumstances we are currently facing.**"

"Gotta admit Cooper, you got quite an interesting buddy with you." said Mu. Jack just chuckles at him.

"I know right? Can't ask for a better buddy than BT."

Mu takes a closer look at BT before looking back to Jack. He wonders how the man is able to pilot a unit made for Coordinators only.

"Still, it makes me curious that you're able to pilot your CGUE unit. I can imagine the ZAFT OS must've made it harder for you to man it." Jack gives a tired groan at the memories of their first arrival in this dimension.

"Oh you don't know what a goddamn nightmare it was to rework and readjust that mobile suit's freaking programming. Without BT's help, my brain would've been reduced to ashes trying to figure out how the damn thing works."

BT, as usual, decides to add his two cents of dry humor in the conversation.

" **Pilot, your brain hasn't diminished to black powdery residue occurring from the aftermath of a fire. Your bodily functions would cease to work if such a phenomenon occurs to you which I calculate is about 0.0005%.** "

The man palms his face at his partner taking his words in literal context again while Mu, Tolle and some of the Archangel personnel snicker at the groaning Militia pilot.

"Just another expression, BT."

" **Noted. Adding 'reduced my brain to ashes' in my vocabulary bank. Fascinating how humans have so many non-sensical phrases and analogies in their language that fits their past or current experiences.** " The prompts the man to sigh again at his partner's dry robotic humor but turns his attention back to others.

"That aside, the frigging OS has so many trivial features and trinkets I had to eradicate a good portion of them. Those computer programmers in ZAFT really like to overcomplicate things to the point where it can drive any sane person mad. Fact of the matter is, BT and I had to revamp the whole entire thing for a solid year before we found a nice sweet spot to suit our needs."

Natarle then clears her throat catching everybody's attention.

"If you two are done talking, we have other matters to attend to. Lieutenant Ramius, Lieutenant La Flaga, I believe we should discuss our next course of action in the _Archangel_ 's bridge." The man shrugs his shoulders at her.

"Fine by me. Got nothing better to do anyways."The brunette lieutenant looks over to both Jack and Kira.

"Jack, Kira, I want you two to park your respective mobile suits in the _Archangel_ 's hangar bay. What you do for the meantime is up to you." Looking over to one of the soldiers, Murrue relays her instructions.

"I want one of you to accompany the students to their quarters. After what transpired a while ago, I don't want to hear any fuss or complaints. Understand me?" The soldiers just complied to her request, not wanting to anger their superior officer.

Without wasting any time, everybody went to work. Some of the factory workers and soldiers hopped in military trucks, loading in whatever salvageable and important items they can take with them when they leave Heliopolis.

Jack and Kira climbed into their respective machines before moving them to the empty recharging stations. Closing off the controls, Kira hopped off the Strike's cockpit to meet up with his friends while Jack stayed in BT to grab his belongings in tow as a team of mechanics begin to repair the former Vanguard Titan. Seeing his AI companion in good hands, he takes his luggage with him before leaving the hangar to the _Archangel_ 's barracks section to get his stuff organized.

* * *

Up in the bridge, Mu, who is now dressed in his Earth Forces uniform, along with Natarle and Murrue, the latter also dressed in her uniform, are talking about their next course of action.

"So what do we do now?" asked Natarle.

"Well for starters, my Moebius Zero won't be operational for another fight since Le Creuset shot it down to hell. It'll take a while for those mechanics to speed up the process. We also have to keep in mind that his team is waiting for us outside the colony so expect another run-in with them."

Natarle's and Murrue's eyes widened at the mention of the ZAFT ace pilot.

"You mean to tell me that you along with Kira and Jack are the ones fighting Commander Rau Le Creuset, the famed White Lightning of ZAFT?!" said Natarle in shock.

"Mhm. One and the same bastard." The man nods at her with a frown on his face.

"How did they manage to drive Rau Le Creuset away?" The man only grinned at her.

"A lot of luck and a bit of skill on the kid's part while skill and pure determination on Jack's part. In fact, Jack placed Rau in a deadlock and did moves even I couldn't perform with my unit. Gotta give him props for harassing Rau in such a manner."

Then he has a devious idea forming on the top of his head.

"Perhaps I can ask Jack to fight him while I take on the G-Units. Be a nice change of pace for him to deal with that nutjob instead of me."

The two women can only sweatdropp at his witty remark.

"Lieutenant La Flaga, I don't think he'd be a happy camper if you do that to him." remarked Murrue. The man dismissively waves his hands at her.

"Nonsense, I'm sure he can handle it. Le Creuset found his match so who am I to break such a dynamic and lovely couple?"

Again the two can only sweatdrop at him. Just then the phone on the armrest rang prompting Murrue to take it. Placing the receiver to her ear, the lieutenant carefully listened to the soldier giving her some reports before placing it down on the armest.

"I'm told the colony interior is almost one hundred percent evacuated but with the initial attack from ZAFT, alert levels have increased to level nine." The blonde pilot sighs at that.

"Meaning the shelters have been completely locked. Which brings up my next two points, what'll happen to those kids? It wouldn't be right if we just throw them off the _Archangel_ and have them find a shelter. What about Jack and BT?"

"Lieutenant Ramius told me she detained them since they saw a G-Unit in action. It wouldn't be right to let them go since they're now a liability. As for Jack, he apparently figured out the plan from the very beginning but never divulged the data to anybody untrustworthy which I find it to be suspicious. He must've made a contract with ZAFT to hack into our data networks and steal all the details within the project which caused them to attack the colony in the first place."

Murrue rubs her brow at the ludicrous assumption while Mu rolls his eyes at her.

"You're only saying that because he called you a bitch when you denied him permission to board the _Archangel_."

"I am not!" yelled Natarle, glaring at the Hawk of Endymion for accusing her of such a reason.

"Hmm I think I need your help with your reasoning because I'm having a hard time following it. If Jack was hired by ZAFT to steal the details of the G-Project, then why would he fight his employer? Wouldn't that be bad business for a merc like him? Besides I highly doubt Le Creuset would be the type to recruit a hired gun to do his work. Too prideful to do such a thing."

The raven-haired ensign tried to figure out an excuse but found nothing.

"Oh what's this I hear? None? Well then, it seems to me that Jack is telling the truth after all." Mu displayed a victorious grin at her, which only made her glare at him.

"Anyways, we're getting off track here. I know Jack wouldn't complain but the kids will definitely throw a fit. Also keep in mind that we'll be in some heavy fighting when we leave Heliopolis." Murrue decided to suggest something to the two.

"Then we'll have to rely on the Strike and the CGUE if we are to escape the colony in one piece."

Natarle was about to reject the notion of Cooper fighting and keeping the _Archangel_ safe but Murrue cut her off before she can say anything.

"I know what you're about to say Natarle and I'll have to overrule it. If we have any chances to leave Heliopolis in one piece, we need those two mobile suits to increase the odds of our survival."

"Still, is it wise for us to trust Jack Cooper and his mechanical companion? What if they betray us?" asked a concerned Natarle.

"I know how you feel about this Natarle but we can trust them. I don't think Cooper is the type of person to backstab us when we're at our weakest. Call it a hunch but I know he won't do something like that. Now back to our initial discussion. Lieutenant La Flaga-"

"Hold your horses there. You're expecting me to figure out the machine's specs and to pilot that thing? No thanks." Mu looked at her as if she grew a second head. Both women looked at him stunned at his rejection.

"Did you take a look at what the kid did to the Strike's OS? No human being could fight in that thing. Besides, if we ask him to reprogram it back to its original state, we wouldn't be able to get it moving."

"Then perhaps we can have-" The ensign did not even finish her sentence as the Hawk of Endymion cut her off.

"Forget that option Natarle. Jack's not going to pilot it since he's attached to BT. He's not gonna be a happy camper if we tell or force him to pilot the Strike. Let's face it people, the youngster's the only candidate for the G-Unit."

Natarle did not seem pleased to hear such an opinion from the Hawk of Endymion.

"Are you insane Lieutenant La Flaga?! I can't allow civilians, much less a Coordinator child piloting the G-Unit! The Strike is a military secret after all." Mu did not seem to flinch from her yelling.

"Technically, the G-Project wasn't much of a 'military secret' anymore since Jack was the first to discover it. ZAFT went second to hack the project. If the _Archangel_ and the two units are captured or destroyed, then the whole plan would've been pointless. We'll have to rely on our two pilots for protection." Murrue agrees with his point.

"Without your mobile armor, the CGUE and the Strike are our only means of protection from ZAFT. Whether we like it or not, Kira will have to pilot the Strike." The ensign frowned, still pressing her argument to the forefront of the discussion.

"Lieutenant Ramius, we can't allow a child to operate military hardware without permission from high command. Can we at least ask them first?" Mu shot that down in a heartbeat.

"Fuck that, we'll be wasting time if we ask permission from the top brass. When those morons give us the okay signal, we'll be dead. Either rely on our current pilots or we can casually leave the colony and let those ZAFT teams use us as target practice. Take your pick Ensign Badgiruel."

She hesitated for a moment before conceding to Mu's point. As much as she did not want a Coordinator civilian piloting a G-Unit, they have no other options left on the table.

"Very well. I will concede to your wishes but for your sake, I hope this pays well in the long run." Natarle glared at the two prompting Mu to grin while Murrue shook her head at her. Despite being friends with her for a while, she is still a zealous follower of military regulations and for once Murrue wanted her to ease up.

"I know Jack and BT wouldn't hesitate to jump in battle but what about the kid? He's an Orb citizen. It's against military regulations to forcefully conscript citizens in neutral nations to join the Earth Forces."

Murrue sighed, already knowing Kira's answer to their request.

"In all likelihood, Kira will say no but if we're ever to have a high chance of leaving the colony in one piece, we'll have to calmly convince him to pilot the Strike. It'll be tough but we don't have a choice. With that said, I believe we're done with the discussion. Dismissed."

The two saluted to her before leaving the _Archangel_ 's bridge.

* * *

In the _Vesalius_ , Athrun went up to the bridge to meet up with Commander Le Creuset. Upon arrival, he sees Miguel, Matthew and Olor gathered around Captain Ades and Rau. The masked commander turns around to see Athrun joining them.

"Ah, just in time Athrun."

Athrun saluted in front of him before joining up with the other green coat pilots. Rau turned on the tactical display team, showing them footage of the Strike fighting Miguel's unit along with the custom CGUE that fought him in Heliopolis.

"Thank you for bringing this footage to me Miguel otherwise I would've been a laughing stock in front of the council and ZAFT no matter how hard I try to make my case. But before we get into our analysis of the G-Unit, I have something rather interesting to show you." Clicking on the remote, he shows them the battle footage between him and the custom CGUE unit.

"There were reports of an unknown unit eliminating Seitzer in Heliopolis so I went ahead to investigate the anomaly. To my surprise, this mobile suit is in fact a custom CGUE but it seems this unit has some rather interesting features installed in its frame. Take a closer look."

The pilots watched in surprise and shock at how the custom CGUE is capable of producing a blue magnetic shield that can absorb projectiles before releasing the salvo right at the ZAFT ace. Not to mention, the unit is also outfitted with a modified MMI-M7S machine gun that can fire electrified bullets and the chassis firing lock-on missiles.

"Wow...Okay I understand lock-on missiles but never a modified machine gun capable of firing electric bullets let alone the unit performing a magnetic shield with the palm of its servo." Matthew commented to his superior officer prompting Olor to agree with him.

"I agree with Matt over here, Commander Le Creuset. Not even ZAFT's top military scientists or engineers are capable of creating such weapons or defensive armaments. Just how is it possible for a machine to do such a thing?"

The masked commander can only shake his head in uncertainty.

"I don't know but I have an inkling the pilot in the custom CGUE isn't a ZAFT pilot but belonging to a different faction. A third party perhaps."

The young pilots looked over at their commander with confused expressions on their faces but did not ask their commander to expound on his statement.

"Moving on, we have footage of the Strike damaging Miguel's GINN in Heliopolis. You're already aware of the poor OS installed in these machines yet it still boggles the mind how this one is capable of moving so fluidly in a short period of time…"

Miguel gritted his teeth in anger at the humiliation he suffered from the Strike's pilot. He vows to get revenge on their next deployment. Athrun, on the other hand, is in dismay at the information he is currently receiving.

" _Kira in the Strike? It couldn't be him in there...can it?_ " His musing were cut off as Rau begins to tell his troops their next mission.

"What is clear is that we cannot afford to leave it in their hands and ignore this situation If we cannot capture the prototype, then we'll have to destroy it along with the custom CGUE and the warship. Do not underestimate them! Understand gentlemen?"

The pilots saluted in front of him before Captain Ades steps up to face the pilots.

"Matthew, Olor, Miguel, you three are prepared to take off at once. Authorization has been granted to mount D-equipment! Make sure you end this once and for all."

Nodding their heads, the three green coat pilots left the bridge. Athrun then turned to Ades, requesting for permission to launch with them.

"Captain Ades, allow me to sortie in this mission as well!"

"Remember, you don't have a mobile suit to pilot. You already accomplished in capturing the enemy's unit so I don't see a reason for you to sortie this mission." Rau reminded him.

"But sir…"

"Let the others go, Lieutenant Zala. Miguel, Olor and Matthew are itching for action as much as you are. Not to mention, Olor and Miguel have a stronger case given the humiliation they suffered." said Ades. The young man frowned but reluctantly nods at the captain. Leaving the bridge, Ades sighs at the elite soldier's attitude.

"Quite a handful he is, Commander Le Creuset. What's gotten into him?" Rau just chuckles at him as he readjusts his white mask.

"Oh I wouldn't be so worried about him, Ades. He knows what to do in this type of situation."

* * *

In the _Gamow_ 's pilot ready room, Yzak, Dearka, and Nicol received word from the _Vesalius_ about the authorization of D-equipment. The three pilots watch as the GINNs are being armed with various heavy armaments.

"D-equipment huh? Is Commander Le Creuset planning to storm a fortress or a base?" asked Yzak as he tosses his water bottle to the side, letting it float in zero gravity.

"What will happen to Heliopolis if they use such gear?" asked Nicol. Unlike his teammates, he is quite worried about Heliopolis's fate, seeing that such an action is quite extreme. The silver-haired pilot shrugs at his teammate's petty question.

"Why ask such a stupid question, Nicol? They call themselves a neutral nation yet they created those mobile suits for the Earth Forces. Quite justified if I have to say so myself."

Nicol frowned but said nothing as he watches the GINNs preparing to launch from the _Vesalius_.

* * *

Miguel's GINN, equipped with the M69 Barrus Kai Heavy Ion Cannon, stepped up to the catapult ready to launch from the _Vesalius_. Once all systems went green, he launched forth from the vessel heading straight to Heliopolis.

Catching up he sees Matthew's GINN equipped with the M66 "Canus" guided missile launchers and the M68 "Pardus" 3-barreled missile launchers attached to the leg units while Olor's is armed with the M68 "Cattus" 50mm launcher. Both of their GINNs have their standard MMI-M8A3 machine guns strapped to their backs in case their armaments are destroyed or run out of ammunition.

Seeing the last GINN out, the chief mechanic orders the others to close the catapult.

"Alright! That's the last one. Close the hatch!"

Before the hatch can close, the Aegis stepped up to the catapult.

"What the hell? This one's launching too?" said the mechanic in confusion as he looks at the prototype G-Unit step up to the catapult launcher. Not wasting any time to wait for clearance, Athrun forcefully left the vessel, albeit narrowly before the hatch closed.

The mechanics were not the only ones who were perplexed with the mobile suit's sudden launch. As the Aegis rocketed towards Heliopolis, the crew members in the _Vesalius_ 's bridge got the prototype's signal blinking on their screens.

"Captain Ades! Commander Le Creuset! The Aegis left the _Vesalius_ and is linking up with Miguel, Olor, and Matthew!" reported one crew member to Ades.

"What?! He left the _Vesalius_ without my permission?" Captain Ades whirled around in his chair, looking at the crew member in disbelief.

"Yes sir. The Aegis already linked up with the other three pilots."

"Then call him back! Order him to return to the _Vesalius_ immediately!"

"It's fine Ades. Let him go." said Rau, raising his hand to counter Ades' orders.

"Sir?" The man looked at him perplexed.

"We're already done with the data extraction so I don't see the fuss in having Athrun return to the _Vesalius_. Besides, aren't you rather curious to see a fight between these two machines? I certainly would." Rau then turns to one of the crew members on board.

"Crewman, get me a link to the Aegis' comms."

The crewman did as he was told as he linked the _Vesalius_ 's radio channel to the Aegis'. A second later, Athrun's face showed up in the screen.

"Lieutenant Zala."

"Yes, Commander Le Creuset?" The man smiles a bit before giving him his new orders.

"Although you launched against the orders of Captain Ades, make it your mission to capture or destroy the enemy's mobile suits while making it a priority to come back in one piece. Understand?"

"Yes sir!" Athrun closed the line as Rau waits in anticipation aboard the Nazca-class ship.

* * *

Back in the _Archangel_ , Murrue and Mu went down to the barracks section to talk to Kira. Arriving at their quarters, they see Jack exchanging some personal stories with the teens. They looked up to see the two officers standing before them.

"Lieutenant La Flaga, Lieutenant Ramius." greeted Jack giving them a salute. Despite using the mercenary cover-up for the moment, he is still a Militia soldier at heart. The woman smiled at him, telling him to stand down.

"At ease Jack."

"Not that I'm happy to see you but why are you guys here in the barracks? Need some help with some stuff?" asked Jack as he stands in ease.

"Nah, we're here to talk to Kira about something." said Mu. The young teen already knew what they are about to ask him so instantly he flat-out refused the offer.

"Not interested in piloting the Strike Lieutenant La Flaga."

The two officers knew it would be a challenge to convince him but the teen is being stubborn and hardheaded. Mu then decides to take on a different approach.

"I provided an escort to the pilots assigned to man those machines. Even for specially-trained pilots, getting them to move those things with a single step without crashing is a considered a major victory. In comparison to them, you were able to damage the CGUE belonging to the ZAFT ace, Rau Le Creuset and took on a GINN by yourself."

Everybody, minus Murrue, was stunned to hear that the silver CGUE unit belongs to the infamous White Lighting of ZAFT.

" _I definitely have a habit of meeting and fighting war celebrities alright._ _I wonder if it's a blessing or a curse._ " Cooper ran a hand through his hair, feeling a very familiar sense of déjà vu coursing through him.

Despite the compliments he is getting, Kira still refused to pilot the Strike.

"Flattery will get you nowhere Lieutenant La Flaga. I'm not going to pilot the Strike and that's final."

"I guess not. Worth a try though." The man chuckles sheepishly as he runs his hand through his hair in embarrassment. Jack snickers at him while Murrue shot him a flat look. He is not making things any easier for any of them.

"Kira, I know you don't want to pilot the Strike and if there was a perfect candidate to do the job, I'd gladly pick him or her. But currently you're the only one who can-" Kira cuts her off in an even tone, pointing at Jack and Mu.

"Then why don't you ask Lieutenant La Flaga or Jack to do it. I'm sure they're better candidates than I am." Mu shakes his head at him.

"No can do kid. I can't pilot the Strike since the OS you rewrote can and would only accommodate Coordinators, not Naturals. If my mobile armor isn't so banged up from my fight with Le Creuset, sure I'd be able to assist Jack but my unit is still in repairs. You also can't ask our resident mercenary to pilot the Strike since he's already paired with BT from the get-go."

"Sorry to break it to you Kira...but he has a point." said Jack in an apologetic.

"From what we observe, Cooper is an ace pilot so wouldn't you be able to take care of yourself?" asked Miriallia.

"Sure I can handle myself in a fight against multiple opponents Miss Haww, but I'm in no way, shape, or form Superman. In the end, I'm still human. I have my own limits too you know?" answered Jack.

Kira frowned at this, upset that in the end he still has to pilot the G-Unit despite him not wanting to be involved with the war.

"You people aren't being fair. True, there's a war going on but we didn't want to be involved with it. That's why we live in a neutral nation. Yet you still bug me to pilot the mobile suit..." Jack took a sigh before placing a hand over his shoulder.

"Listen kid, if you and your buddies want to leave the _Archangel_ when we're on high ground, then fine. Nobody will stop you but right now our only option is to fight our way through the colony. Let me ask you something Kira."

Purple eyes met brown orb, leaning in to what Jack has to say to him.

"Do you want to see your friends or loved ones die? To see them consumed by fire as you watch the _Archangel_ tear herself apart?"

Kira's eyes widened in horror as his mind immediately conjured a gruesome image of the _Archangel_ imploding to its doom. He is not the only one alone since the others are also imagining the same grizzly scenario playing in their minds.

"Hey, hey Jack, let's not scare the youngsters with these dreadful what-if scenarios…" Jack looked back at the blonde pilot with an even face, daring him to test him. Shivering at the look, he wisely shuts up, letting Jack talk to the teen.

"If nobody is going to fight, then who will? I may be an ace pilot, Kira, but I told Miss Haww that I'm not invincible. Just because you're a soldier doesn't mean you fight for the sole purpose of serving a nation. Others fight to protect their friends and loved ones back home."

The young man reflects on his words, his mind struggling to fight a mental battle. A part of his mind tells him that if he joins the war, he will only be a hypocrite but another part focused on Jack's point. True to his words, if nobody will step up in this time of great need, then who will?

A few minutes later, Kira made his decision.

"I'll pilot the Strike but don't get me wrong on this. I'm only piloting it to protect my friends from harm. Nothing more nothing less."

"Thank you Kira. I appreciate it." Murrue gave him a genuine, gentle and grateful smile at him.

"If it helps you, I'll teach you a couple trinkets on being a good pilot. Trust me, it'll keep you and everybody else alive throughout the course of this conflict." said Jack.

"I'll keep that in mind."

The alarms blared throughout the entirety of the _Archangel_. While the alarms continue to ring, the comm panel opens up, prompting Murrue to head over there and answer person on the other side of the line.

"Yes?"

"Lieutenant Ramius, please report to the bridge immediately. We have an incoming team of ZAFT mobile suits approaching Heliopolis." said Jackie from the other end of the panel.

"Damn bastards aren't giving us the luxury to hit them first." Mu clicked his tongue in anger. Miriallia clutches on Tolle's arm, scared about the incoming fight while he tries to soothe her.

"Alright. I'll be there in the bridge in a short while. In the meantime, prepare the _Archangel_ 's defenses and do the best you can to take them down before they fire a single shot at us. All hands to level one battle stations!"

Jack straps on his helmet, heading straight to the hangar with Kira following behind him. With the two no longer there, Mu looks over to Murrue.

"Well Lieutenant Ramius, seems you're our captain."

"E-eh?" She looks at him in disbelief.

"Look, I may have seniority but I don't have a single clue about this ship or its main functions."

"But…fine. Alright, I'll be taking command on this ship from here on out. Lieutenant La Flaga, head over to the CIC." She then turned to the teens.

"For the rest of you, sit tight. If you want to see what's outside, then head over to the cafeteria. There's a monitor installed over there."

Not wasting any time, the two officers left the barracks up to the bridge while the teens went over to the cafeteria.

Arriving at the hangar, Jack and Kira mounted their respective mobile suits. While the mechanics are busy arming both the Strike and the CGUE, Jack keyed his comms to the Strike's. Seeing the connection already made via a screen on the upper right-hand portion of the viewing port, he decides to test it out to see if he can hear him.

"Hey Kira, do you read me?" Kira looks up from the controls right at the screen before answering him.

"I read you Jack."

Jack noticed that despite being calm, or trying to be calm, he can see the apparent nervousness and jittery movement written all over his body.

"You nervous fighting about your second battle?" The young man nods his head at him, feeling rather ashamed to admitting it so easily to the experienced pilot.

"Hey, that's nothing to be ashamed of. It's natural for you to be afraid. When I became BT's pilot, I was scared as hell but if there's one thing you should know, you can't let fear overtake you. Stabilize your heart rate, focus on what you're fighting for, and use your energy to strive for the end goal. Get me so far?"

Again, the young teen nods at him. "Good. Never let your guard down and don't give the enemy any openings. If you have a decision to make, pick it because the enemy won't wait for you to make a move."

Just as he was done talking to Kira, another screen pops up on the upper left-hand side of the viewing window showing Chief Murdoch's face.

"Hey son, this is Chief Murdoch here. We have your buddy already equipped with the standard CGUE machine gun and the vulcan shield. Anything else you need before you head out?"

"I don't think so Chief. We're good to go." He gives the mechanic his usual thumbs-up.

"Alright. Do your best to get back here in one piece. Stay safe and good luck out there!" Closing the line, he looks over to Kira who is doing his best to calm himself down using Jack's advice. It seems to be working quite nicely.

"Alright kid. I'll head out first while they get the Strike armed. I'll see you on the battlefield."

"Right. I'll meet you out there."

Closing the line, he moves BT up to the catapult, facing the outside environment of Heliopolis. Seeing clearance go green, he knew it is his time to launch.

"Jack Cooper, CGUE, launching!" The duo shot out of the _Archangel_ heading straight out into the battlefield. Seeing the Militia pilot leave the _Archangel_ , Kira looks up to see Murdoch contacting him.

"Hey kid. You got everything ready to go?" Kira nods his head to him.

"Yes sir."

"Good to hear. Listen, I don't know what those guys are complaining about you manning the Strike but I respect your courage. Coordinator, Natural, I don't care. You go out there and show those ZAFT upstarts some hell ya hear me?"

"Y-yes sir!"

"Before you go, we're arming you with the Sword Pack. Not the most ideal gear, I know, but we don't want another catastrophic repeat. Last thing we need is your home collapsing on us while we're trying to escape and I'm sure you don't want to see another hole being made."

Kira shivered at the sheer memory of witnessing the devastating power of the Launcher Strike punching a hole in one of the colony's walls after he damaged Rau's silver machine. Shaking his head clear of distractions, he sees the Sword Pack attached to the unit. Kira moved the Strike to the catapult, ready to launch.

"Kira Yamato, Strike, launching!" Seeing the green light, he launches himself from the white warship, the colors of the Strike manifesting around the frame. After Kira left the _Archangel_ , Jack saw four bright flashes in the distance. Taking a closer zoom, he sees three GINNs equipped with heavy weaponry and the red prototype unit approaching them.

"Already sending out the big guns huh? ZAFT must be really excited to see how two prototypes fight against each other."

Cut off from his musings, Mu's face appears on his and Kira's cockpits. "Alright you two, listen up! Those GINNs flying in are armed with D-equipment. Those big guns are used to take out heavily fortified bases and military strong points. A single misfire can severely damage Heliopolis' infrastructure. Even a small missile can dish out a major punch."

Kira's eyes widened in sheer terror while Jack shook his head in dismay. "Crazy bastards. Those guys really want us dead if they're so desperate to use heavy guns in a civilian colony."

"Same thinking, Jack. I don't know what the hell is going on in that nutjob's head but I do know he wants us dead no matter what. Do not let them fire a round in the colony at all costs! Those are your orders!"

Kira nods his head in agreement while Jack gives him the usual thumbs-up before closing the line. The two of them split off, Kira taking on the GINN accompanying the Aegis while Jack took on the other two ZAFT units.

Seeing the Archangel's units heading their way, Miguel taps into their radio channel to relay his orders.

"Those are the same units that took out Seitzer and damaged Commander Le Creuset's machine. Matthew, Olor, you take on the CGUE while Athrun and I take on the Strike. He and I have a score to settle and I intend to see the price paid in full interest."

"I hear you Miguel but be careful. These guys aren't your average EA pilots." remarked Olor.

"Don't worry your little head, Olor. With our units equipped with heavy guns, they don't stand a chance. Now then, let's show these guys how the Le Creuset team does business!"

The four pilots split off from each other, meeting up with their respective opponents. Jack saw Matthew's GINN unleashing a barrage of Pardus missiles and Olor releasing a salvo of rockets from his recoilless launcher. Activating the Vortex Shield, the incoming projectiles stopped in their tracks, floating around the magnetic shield. Once the blue color turned to red, Jack aimed at one of them to receive the salvo.

Dodging the incoming attack, Matthew flew underneath Jack and from an upside-down position, he released two large missiles from the missile launcher. Olor added more to the attack by firing two more rockets from the recoilless launcher before reloading it with a new magazine. The Militia pilot destroys the large slow-moving missiles while he evades the other two rockets coming in front of him. The rockets lost their targets, spinning wildly in the air before hitting the walls of Heliopolis, creating two huge holes in the process.

"Dammit. Any stray hits, the whole entire place comes down on us."

" **A negative mindset will not help us in this situation, Pilot Cooper.** "

Before Jack can say anything, Matthew fired the last two rockets before releasing four smaller missiles stored in the launcher. Just like before, he destroys the slow-moving missiles before evading the faster ones. The missiles, like the rockets from the Cattus recoilless launcher, lost their target causing them to stray off in the colony and inflict more damage despite their small size.

"Argh quite firing your big guns!" Jack fired more arc rounds right at the two GINNs before reloading a fresh new magazine. Matthew used the now useless launchers as a makeshift shield to block the electric-filled lead coming at him. The bullets penetrated through the armament, static running through the entire weapon. Seeing the weapon about to explode, he tosses them away before taking out his unit's machine gun and engage Cooper in a shootout.

While the two continue to duke it out with their shootout, Olor looks over to the _Archangel_ providing some supportive fire for the Strike.

"Matthew! I'll be taking on the legged ship and see if I can sink it down. Take care of the CGUE pilot for me would you?"

"Got it." With that, Olor flew over to the legged warship.

While Olor flew over to the _Archangel_ , Matthew and Jack are exchanging shots at each other, flying at different angles all over the colony to see who can take the other out. Whenever one would release a torrent of lead, the other would dodge and the exact motion. Neither pilot has been able to hit the opponent's unit.

"This is the same unit that placed Commander Le Creuset into a standstill? Pfft, what a joke. I don't how this pilot is capable of matching our fearless leader but whatever. This'll be an easy kill for me." Matthew reloaded another magazine before firing more rounds at Jack.

Unknown to him, Jack heard the snide comments thanks to the open comms. Normally this would piss off people but not Jack. He has dealt with worse insults from both IMC pilots and Apex Predators in Typhon than this ZAFT pilot.

"Okay son. If it's a fight you want, a fight you get. Let's see how good you are with lock-on missiles..."

Reloading a fresh new magazine into his modified machine gun, the Militia activated the Multi-Target Missile System. Painting as many lock-on targets as possible, he released a barrage right at the GINN. Matthew fired a few machine gun rounds at the missiles, destroying two of them before being hit. The pilot grits his teeth, seeing that the missiles are starting to hammer away his machine's defenses.

Matthew took aim at the custom CGUE unit before releasing another hailstorm of lead but Jack flew underneath him, firing more electric rounds to nail the ZAFT unit.

As the two combatants duke it out with their shootout, Olor focuses his attention on the _Archangel_ with his Cattus launcher aimed at the ship.

"Alright, let's see what you're made of…" Olor unleashed a couple rounds from his Cattus launcher at several spots on the warship. It warship responded with some Igelstellung machine gun fire and Wombat missiles. Seeing the warheads heading straight at him, he took out his machine gun taking them down without any issues.

Looking up to the _Archangel_ , he sees the armor revealing tiny dents and burn marks instead of a gaping hole.

"Not even the Cattus can make a dent on that thing? Just how powerful is the ship's armor system"

He empties his recoilless rifle, targeting different weak points of the ship. The white legged warship evaded the rockets. Deprived from their target, they went soaring through the fake sky, hitting different parts of the colony while one stray rocket got in between Matthew and Jack. Only two rockets succeeded in their path in hitting the vessel.

"OLOR! The hell man! You nearly got me killed thanks to you pulling the trigger all willy-nilly!" The green coat pilot looks up to see a rather cheesed Matthew glaring at him from the screen.

"Sorry about it, Matt. Was trying to get the legged ship but they evaded my shots so..." Olor nervously rubs the back of his pilot helmet, chuckling at his teammate in a sheepish manner.

Before Matthew could say anything to his comrade, the _Archangel_ unleashed their Gottfried dual energy cannons from the top of its "legs". Once the cannons gathered enough energy, they released a powerful surge of emerald beams at the ZAFT GINNs.

Matthew, Olor and Jack evaded the energy beams but it's destructive path did not stop. The three combatants watched as the energy streaks hit the support shaft, tearing a clean hole through the structure. Shaking his head in dismay, Jack taps on his comms to contact the _Archangel_.

"Okay, who's the genius that decided it was a good idea to fire those guns at the colony?" Jack heard innocent whistling from the other end prompting him to sigh and shake his head in disappointment

"Never mind. Probably shouldn't have asked."

" **Incoming hostiles, Pilot Cooper.** " warned BT.

Turning around, Jack activates his Vortex Shield, absorbing bullets and rockets before hurling it back at them. The two side strafed the incoming salvo but Jack wants to wrap things up once and for all. He unleashed some electric lead down range at Matthew's GINN, tearning a couple holes through the armor before a few rounds pierced through the cockpit and threw Matthew himself. Matthew's GINN fired its machine gun wildly before the entire mobile suit exploded in a fiery ball of flames.

"Matthew! Tch, that's it! You're going down if it's the last thing I do!"

Enraged, Olor unleashed the remaining contents of the Cattus launcher right at Jack. The Militia pilot skillfully evaded the incoming missiles before firing vulcan shield and machine gun right at the ZAFT pilot. Dodging the incoming machine gun fire, Olor took out his unit's machine gun, unleashing some lead at him. Jack did not flinch as the bullets bounce off the armor, continuing to fire the remaining arc rounds in the MMI-M7S.

Firing the last bullet, he reloads a new one before firing another torrent again. The bullets pierced through the armor with some of the rounds destroying the leg unit causing it explode, Seeing Olor's GINN stall for a moment, Jack took the opportunity to take him, firing a couple shots straight through the cockpit.

Just like Matthew's GINN, Olor's doomed unit fired some rounds from its recoilless launcher before imploding in a fiery ball. The rockets went straight at the support shaft, destroying the structures and wires that kept the whole entire colony together.

"Dammit. We were too late."

Like a scene straight out of an apocalypse movie, the support shaft crumbled with large debris from the structure descending on the ground, crushing and flattening anything that stands. As the debris continue to fall, the walls of the colony begin to split itself in different directions before breaking open.

When the walls parted, an intense vacuum begins to pull any object within its reach right into space.

"Pilot, I suggest we hold on to something to prevent any debris from crushing us both."

Seeing the large chunks of debris coming at them in full speed, he quickly took BT's advice. Finding a large piece of land flying up to him from below, the duo latched on it, using it as a shield to prevent any rubble from crushing them. The two steeled themselves as they are getting closer and closer to space.

" **Brace yourself Cooper.** "

* * *

On another side of battle, the two long-lost childhood friends are now staring at each other in the cockpits of their respective mobile suits in utter disbelief. The navy-haired soldier could only look at Kira in dismay after he witnessed Miguel's death by his hands. The same can be said for Kira, looking at Athrun who is he breaking a promise he made during their childhood.

After a few moments of silence, Athrun turned on his comms to contact Kira from the other mobile suit.

"So it's you isn't it, Kira Yamato?"

Kira's eyes widened all the more when he heard his friend for the first time in many years. There is no mistake, it is truly Athrun Zala.

"A-Athrun...What are you doing in a place like this!?"

"I should be asking you the same thing! Besides, why are you piloting that mobile suit in the first place?!"

Before he can say anything, the walls of the colony are splitting apart, bringing in more of the intense vacuum from space. Feeling the intense pull, the two pilots try to resist but it is futile. The two briefly reunited friends are once again pulled in opposite directions.

* * *

Aboard the _Gamow_ , the three ZAFT pilots watched Heliopolis tear itself apart in seconds. Nicol looked on in the scene in sheer horror while Dearka and Yzak felt frustrated at how things went downhill so quickly.

"H-Heliopolis…it's destroyed…" Nicol stuttered in horror, seeing the now destroyed civilian colony.

"How the hell did Miguel and the others screw up so badly to the point where the entire place tore itself apart?" The blonde elite pilot pinches the bridge of his nose while shaking his head in disappointment. Yzak did not say anything as he too shared the same sentiments as his best friend.

On the _Vesalius_ , Captain Ades and the rest of the crew looked in the now destroyed Heliopolis in stunned silence while Rau looked on with an impassive face. Though beyond the impassive face is a seething anger laced with sheer frustration.

" _Dammit. First, I lose Matthew, Olor, and Miguel and now Heliopolis is destroyed. The Supreme Council will have my head for this debacle!_ " Not saying a word, he turns around, heading straight to the lift.

"Sir?" Ades turns his chair around to see Rau heading straight to the lift.

"Ades, I want you to find Athrun. When you do, contact him to return to the ship. I'm heading to my office to sort out this mess. Don't bother to call me unless the situation calls for it."

Without waiting for a reply, the lift closed its doors. Ades turns around to relay his officer's orders.

"You heard Commander Le Creuset. Get to work."

The crew members did not say anything, working on their task to find Athrun and the Aegis now stranded in the debris field.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Phew that was a long chapter. I know my battle scenes in this fic are not the greatest by any means but just bear with me on that aspect. I know you guys are probably upset with me that I am not uploading chapters in a quick manner but I have school stuff to deal with.**

 **I am still debating whether or not I should bring in some Titanfall 2 characters or omit it from the story. I am leaning more on the adding decision but I am still mulling it over my head.**

 **Anyways, that is all I have to say. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter. As always, I accept critical and constructive criticism. No FLAMES please. Thanks and see you guys in the next chapter.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 **A/N:**

 **Argh goddamit! You know what is worse than writer's block? School papers! I hate doing them not because I'm a bad writer but because it is time consuming. I would take tests rather than write papers any day. Your opinions may differ on the matter and I respect your views since everybody is entitled to their own opinions. I am just stating my own opinions about the matter.**

 **Anyways, the awkward mini rant of papers aside, there are a few matters I need to address before heading straight into the story. The first is about the GINNs and their shield. He or she did make a point about the GINNs not having energy shields around their frames since the armor around the frame is a physical shield. So I made some corrections to it and hopefully would not throw many readers off as they read the third chapter.**

 **However, I am making these mass-produced units a tiny bit more durable and stronger though by a small, margin. Just a tiny touch to make the fights a bit more interesting. The OP-ness are reserved for the prototype units because…well…they are prototypes.**

 **Need I say anymore?**

 **I also corrected the previous chapter about Cooper introducing himself to the _Archangel_ crew. I probably should have used the mercenary cover-up for Cooper and let him explain his origins to the rest of the _Archangel_ 's crew at a later time. After all, they are focusing on escaping their ZAFT pursuers in space and are trying to head down to Earth so they are indeed curious as to who our resident Militia hero truly is. **

**As for adding characters from Titanfall 2, I am starting to think of possible characters that might end up here in the Gundam SEED universe. I do not know about you, but I have a feeling that the IMC will try and find another WMD similar to the Fold Weapon and use it to destroy Harmony.**

 **With that little talk out of the way, let us dive straight into the fun parts.**

 **Legend:**

 **Hello – BT-7274 Speaking or Titan OS speaking.**

 _Hello_ **– Thoughts, computer logs, or flashback.**

Hello **– Radio communications, news media outlet.**

 **Disclaimer:**

 **Jack Cooper and BT-7274 and Titanfall 2 belongs to Respawn Entertainment while Gundam SEED mobile suits and characters belong to Sunrise and directed by Mitsudo Fukuda. I own my OC characters.**

* * *

The _Archangel_ 's crew can only look at the debris field that was once Heliopolis in stunned silence. Nobody said a word for a moment, only staring at the image of sheer destruction of the colony from the viewing windows.

"Amazing how simple yet fragile it was..." said Mu as he floats by Murrue while shaking his head in dismay. She turned her chair around to face Natarle in the CIC section of the ship.

"Ensign Badgiruel, contact Pilots Yamato and Cooper. Hopefully, they made it out of Heliopolis alive and unharmed." ordered Murrue. The woman did not hesitate to follow the order, activating the radio channels of the _Archangel_ to the CGUE and the Strike.

"Pilots Kira Yamato and Jack Cooper, this is Ensign Natarle Badgiruel. If you can hear me, please respond to this transmission. Again, to pilots Kira Yamato and Jack Cooper, this is Ensign Natarle Badgiruel. If you can hear me, please respond to this transmission."

* * *

Out in the debris field, Jack groaned in his seat as he gathers his bearings together from the intense gravitational pull. He felt a slight painful throb in his head but chose to ignore it since it will settle down in a minute or two.

"Argh man...that gravitational pull was intense. I'm never going to experience that ever again."

" **Are you alright Pilot Cooper?** " asked BT in concern for his pilot. The man gives him a tired nod to his AI partner.

"Yeah I'll be fine. Just give me at least a minute to stop the slight ringing in my head and I'll be good to go."

When the ringing stopped, Jack takes a good look around the debris field that was once Heliopolis. The man cannot do anything but frown in dismay, looking sadly at the destruction of the once peaceful homeland now reduced to a makeshift graveyard. Another symbol serving as a reminder for future generations about the brutality of the Bloody Valentine War.

The destroyed colony reminds him of his fateful tour in Typhon. If the two did not stop the IMC's Fold Weapon, then Harmony would end up like Heliopolis only in a planetary scale and the casualties reaching to the millions, possibly billions. The sheer loss of Harmony would definitely provide a major blow to the Militia's morale and destroy their increasing momentum in defeating the IMC.

"We tried our best but it wasn't enough. BT, you think they made it out in time?" asked Cooper as he continues to stare in the debris field of the once Heliopolis colony.

" **Unknown but reasonable assumptions that perhaps the civilians did leave the colony before it collapsed** **. The colony has built civilian lifeboats in case the colony underwent a disaster. Other than speculations, I cannot reach a logical conclusion.** "

"It's fine, BT. I'm pretty sure their parents are fine and evacuated the colony. Anyways, I'm going to see if I can-" Before he can say anything, his radio channel picked up a communications line from the _Archangel_. Tapping in, he sees Natarle's face popping up on the upper right-hand side of the screen.

"To pilots Kira Yamato and Jack Cooper, this is Ensign Natarle Badgiruel. If you can hear me, please respond to this transmission." Tapping into the signal, the man immediately responds to the ensign.

"Ensign, this is Jack Cooper chiming in. Heard you loud and clear."

"Copy that Pilot Cooper. What's your status over?"

"Fine and dandy but damn that gravitational pull can really shake your body up more than a roller coaster ride." The woman can only sigh at his casual behavior before returning to important matters.

"Antics aside, have you located the Strike? I've been trying to contact Pilot Yamato but he isn't responding to my transmission calls."

"Hold up. Just give me one minute..." Jack begins to locate around the debris field, zooming around the massive clusters of debris from different angles before he spots the familiar colors of the Strike. Marking it in the cockpit's HUD, he reports back to Natarle. "Found him. The machine seems to be intact and unharmed."

"Good to hear. Go over to his position and when you do, head back to the ship. Do you have a fix on our location?" The man zeroes in on the Archangel's position, marking it in his cockpit's HUD.

"Sure thing. Don't worry I'll get the kid and bring us home. Jack out."

Closing the line, the duo went over to the Strike. Upon approaching the G-Unit, the Militia pilot connected his radio channel to the unit's. The screen showed Kira staring at the remnants of his homeland in a catatonic state. Taking a deep breath, he carefully breaks the teen's mourning stupor.

"Hey Kira. It's me, Jack." Kira blinks twice before turning his attention to Jack.

"Oh...hey there Jack. Sorry if I didn't answer you immediately. I was...reflecting on what just transpired a few moments ago..." The man shakes his hand, dismissing the apology since it is not easy to see your homeland reduced to rubble right before your very eyes.

"You got nothing to apologize for kid. I know it's hard to swallow seeing your home reduced down to rubble. I've seen it before so I know the feeling."

"Still…do you think my parents made it out alive? Do you think they were able to escape Heliopolis before it collapsed?" The man nods his head to the young teen.

"I'm not so sure Kira. I'm pretty sure they made it out just fine but all I can say is, pray to God and hope for the best."

The young teen breathes a forlorn sigh, already dreading the prospect of his parents dead within the debris field of their homeland. He will have to take Cooper's advice and hope to the heavens that they are okay and safe. For now, he has to focus on surviving and keeping his friends safe from harm. His mobile suit picks up a signal stranded around the debris field. Zeroing on the signal, he sees a lifeboat floating in the middle of the wreckage, barely missing the chunks of land from the destroyed colony. Surprised to see the lifeboat still intact, he informs Jack about getting it onboard the _Archangel_.

"Hey Jack. I spotted a lifeboat in the middle of the debris. I'm going over to get it and bring it onboard the ship."

Jack sees the Kira holster the large blade on its back before heading over to the lifeboat. The man did not say anything, just following him to the lifeboat to pick up stranded civilians trapped in the contraption.

* * *

Finding the pilots and mobile suits alive and still intact, the three officers are now discussing their next course of action.

"So what's the next plan aside from being stranded here in space making us big targets for Le Creuset?" asked Mu. Natarle looks over to Murrue.

"Captain Ramius, if I may suggest this, the best course of action is to head straight into the Artemis Base." She turned around to meet her straight in the eye.

"Artemis…you mean the Eurasian Federation's military base?"

"You mean the base in the middle of fucking nowhere wasting their umbrella shield that can easily be used in other strategic bases out in the front?" Mu is already hating the idea of heading straight to that particular allied installation. Natarle nods her head albeit ignoring the man's scathing remark before looking up at the Archangel's screen showcasing their current location and other Earth Forces bases located in space.

"From our present location, it's the easiest and nearest allied location we can take."

"You do realize that we're in a situation where neither the ship nor the Strike has a recognition code that will be acknowledged by allied forces. Not to mention, they'll get suspicious of us harboring Jack and BT aboard the _Archangel_. Are you sure they'd accept us with open arms?" The brunette captain has a frown on her face, already having a bad feeling about heading straight to the Eurasian base.

"Given our current situation, it's our only choice. The other bases are too far from our reach. Since we left without sufficient provisions, we need to stop over to the Artemis to resupply our inventory before heading straight to Alaska. I'm sure the Eurasians would understand about our current situation." Natarle confidently reassures her superior officer.

And that worried her. The Eurasians may be their allies born out of necessity but they far from chummy friends due to their…let us say heated rivalry against the Atlantic Federation. If anything, they will try to hold the ship and its crew members hostage which is not a far-fetched scenario.

Still, Natarle does bring up a valid point. The Artemis is nearest allied base they can go to and with their current supply situation, they will not last long against their ZAFT pursuers. She mulled over the decision before conceding to her point.

"As much as I don't like it, we have no other choice. Crew set our destination to Artemis." The crew set their course to Artemis, though reluctantly since they too share the same sentiments as their captain about heading to the Eurasian stronghold.

"Now that we have a destination in mind, what's our plan to head straight to Artemis?" asked Mu. Natarle and Murrue looked at the Hawk of Endymion in confusion prompting Mu to elaborate more on their situation.

"Well you already know that we have a two ZAFT vessels, namely the _Vesalius_ and the _Gamow_ right at our tails. Rau isn't going to just sit there and let us run over to Artemis since he'll do whatever he can to make sure we're dead. I don't know about you guys but I'm not going to raise the white flag. So I'll reiterate, what's the plan?"

Murrue looks down for a minute to think of a possible solution before addressing the pilot's question.

"Since the ship is installed with some decoys we can easily utilize those to make a distraction to cover our run. Perhaps Commander Le Creuset may chase after it but it's very unlikely." The Hawk of Endymion nods his head in agreement at her point. Rau is a very perceptive man so a decoy is highly unlikely to deceive a commander of his own caliber.

"True but at this point, I'm all up for grabs on whatever can distract that nutjob. Even if it's just a tiny bit, it's better than nothing."

The screen beeped, grabbing everybody's attention. Looking up, they see the Strike carrying the lifeboat while Jack and BT are escorting him through the debris, blasting some chunks of rubble with the MMI-M7S machine gun to make sure it did not hit either them or the lifeboat in the Strike's possession. Natarle looked over to Chandra, ordering him to connect the Strike and the CGUE.

"Get me connected to those two. I want to know why they're bringing refugees in the _Archangel_ at such a bad time." Chandra did not say anything as he worked on connecting the vessel's radio comms to the two mobile suits. Once the connection is made, he gives Natarle the green signal.

"Pilots Cooper and Yamato, what are you two doing this instant!?" Cooper's face appeared on the screen.

"Well what else do you think we're doing? Bringing in a lifeboat to the _Archangel_. Why ask?"

"You just can't randomly bring in a civilian lifeboat in the Archangel without proper authorization! This is a warship used by military personnel, not some disaster relief station! The ship may be huge but it's not that huge to accommodate that many people." Kira's face immediately appeared next to Jack, a displeased expression plastered on him.

"What do you mean you can't accept it!? The propulsion unit is damaged making the lifeboat lose control! You can't expect me to just throw them out there in the middle of space and let them die! What you're saying is insane and preposterous!"

Natarle, however, stood fast in her stance.

"Look, I'm sure there'll be some reinforcements that will pick them up and bring them a nearby station. There's no way we can accept refugees at this time!" Jack snorts at her in a dismissive manner.

"Reinforcements you say? Let me ask you this Natarle, how long do you think it'll take for those said reinforcements you're so confident in to arrive and pick up stranded civies? Give me an accurate answer and if you're right, then we'll follow your orders."

"Er…um…I..." Jack did not even bother to let her answer since it is clear that the answer is no.

"That's what I thought. Kira, forget Natarle's orders and bring that lifeboat in the _Archangel_. Apparently, she doesn't care if helpless civies died or not. Murrue, get the catapult open and have Murdoch and his team open up the lifeboat. Even if you side with her on this one, neither Kira nor I will obey those orders. Close the hangar, we'll just blast the damn thing until you say yes. I'm sure you don't want to render the ship in a bad state since we've got a long ways to go before we reach Earth."

Natarle was utterly shocked at the blatant disregard to her order while Kira smiles at him for being humane in this time of conflict. Mu snickers again already liking the man more and more for blowing her away just like that. When she is about to yell at him, Murrue raises her hands up to silence her.

"Permission granted Jack. Just quickly come back to the _Archangel_ okay? And what did I tell you about not antagonizing Ensign Badgiruel?"

"What did I tell you before? I'm not gonna make any promises if she keeps acting like a bitch. I'll see you back in the ship." Jack gave her a two-finger salute before the two closed the line. Natarle looks over to her commanding officer with a shocked look on her face.

"Are you sure this is a wise decision Captain Ramius? At a time like this…" The woman takes a sigh before regarding her ensign.

"We don't have time to argue over petty matters, Ensign Badgiruel. The sooner we can leave for the Artemis, the better. I don't want to have this discussion again and that's final." Natarle reluctantly concedes to her point, saluting to her officer before returning back to her post.

* * *

Back in the _Archangel_ 's hangar, Kira and Jack parked their respective units in their charging stations before hopping out of the cockpits. Jack cracked his neck and back to alleviate the stiffness before looking down to see Murdoch and a few mechanics surrounding the lifeboat.

"Hey Chief Murdoch! You need some help over there?" asked Jack.

"Sure thing son. Come down here and helps us out." said Murdoch.

Jack floated down from BT to the lifeboat just as Murdoch finished typing in the code to crack the device open. Hissing sounds erupted from the lifeboat, a few hatches in the metallic pod opened up. When the hatches opened up, worried yet relieved civilians began to climb out of the hatches of the lifeboat in a haphazard manner. Jack takes a deep breath before ordering the frightened and tired civilians to leave the boat in a calm manner.

"Alright settle down ladies and gentlemen. I know things have been crazy and scary but you're safe and sound. Let's leave the lifeboat in a calm and orderly fashion alright? If any of you have any belongings on your person, make sure to carry them with you before reuniting with your family members. Some of the Earth Forces personnel will guide you to the barracks section to get yourself settled. If you need to eat, tell them and they'll guide you to the cafeteria. Understand?"

The Heliopolis citizens did as they were told, leaving the lifeboat one at a time in an orderly manner. Right behind a middle-aged man is a young woman with cherry hair wearing a pink dress looking. She looks at Jack for a moment with a confused expression on her face, examining the strange getup the Militia pilot is wearing.

"Er can I help you with something ma'am?" asked Jack in confusion to the young lady. Before she can say anything, a mechanical bird chirped loudly before it flew down to meet the two. She looks up to see Kira floating down to meet up with her.

"Flay Allster! My goodness you're alright!" The now identified Flay smiles at Kira before hugging him making the young Coordinator blush at such a sudden action though he is not complaining at the slightest. Murdoch, Jack and the mechanics all looked at the interaction.

"Hey, Jack. Is that his girlfriend over there or something?" asked Murdoch. Jack raised an eyebrow behind his helmet before shrugging his shoulders at the gruff mechanic.

"Don't look at me because I don't have a damn clue about the kid's love life. If you want to know, go ask him. Come on, we have a few civilians to help out, mostly the elderly."

While they helped out the senior citizens, Kira and Flay are having their own conversation.

"Is it really you Flay? Where you on the lifeboat all this time?" The young lady nods her head on his chest before looking up to him with her blue eyes.

"Kira, what happened to Heliopolis? I got separated from Misha and Jessica in the store when the evacuation orders were being issued. What's going on here?"

Kira looked down on the ground, not wanting to give her the news of their homeland destroyed by invading ZAFT forces. Flay looked around the hangar of the _Archangel_ before her eyes drifted to the deactivated Strike and CGUE with weird custom decals and paintjob around the frame.

"This is a ZAFT ship, right? What will happen to us, Kira? Are we now prisoners of war? Are they going to use us as hostages?" Flay gripped the teen's shirt hard, already fearing for her life at the prospect of being in a warring faction's ship. Before he can say anything, a familiar voice rang out to them.

"Not exactly correct ma'am." The two looked over to see Jack floating up to them. Flay saw that it was the same person she encountered when he is aiding the civilians from the lifeboat. Already, she is feeling nervous and scared at the same stranger from before. She clings to Kira's arm, clearly not trusting the man before her. Jack saw Flay holding on the kid's arm making him form a rather teasing grin behind his helmet.

"Oh, what's this I'm seeing? Already making the move's on the lady huh? Quite the lucky dog eh?" Flay and Kira blushed red before Jack chuckles behind his helmet making Kira pout at him. "Relax, I'm just messing with you two. Nothing you need to get worked up on."

"Kira…who's this man here? Is he part of ZAFT by any chance?" asked a weary Flay. The young Coordinator pats her on the arm, reassuring her that the Militia pilot is not a threat.

"Don't worry, he's not a bad person. Flay, let me introduce you to Jack Cooper. Jack, this is Flay Allster."

"Pleasure to meet you ma'am. As Kira said, I'm Jack Cooper and I don't work for ZAFT. Let's just say I'm a private contractor of sorts." The man pulled out his helmet before extending out his hand to the young woman. The cherry-haired girl hesitated to shake his hand for a second before grasping his hand. Despite the light contact, he still shook it gently.

"Pleasure to meet you too, Mr. Cooper."

"You can call me Jack, Miss Allster. I'm not one for such formalities. Makes me feel old." Retracting her hand from Jack's, she looked back at the two mobile suits that are in their recharging stations.

"Are you sure this isn't a ZAFT vessel? From the looks of it, it kinda seems to be one due to the mobile suits docked here." Cooper shakes his head at her.

"Rest assured Miss Allster, the _Archangel_ is Earth Forces property so you don't have anything to worry about. To your other question, the Strike is an Earth Forces mobile suit, not a ZAFT-made one. The CGUE. on the other hand, is indeed a ZAFT unit but I stole it and customized the unit to suit my own personal needs."

Flay's eyes widened a bit in fear when she heard the machine Jack is piloting is a ZAFT unit but Kira reassured her that he is not fighting for ZAFT.

"Don't worry Flay, he's not with ZAFT. In fact, he's the one who fought them and prevented them from harming the _Archangel_ and our friends. There's nothing for you to worry about. Not to mention, Sai and the others are here safe and sound."

The young woman breathes a sigh of relief when she heard that her fiancé is alright. She was worried about his safety when she and the other citizens evacuated Heliopolis but with the news of him safe and sound, she is eager to see him.

"That's a relief. Can you show me where he is?"

"Sure thing."

The two parted from Jack as they entered in the elevator shaft leading to the barracks section. The Militia pilot felt his stomach rumble so he decided to hit straight to the cafeteria to get something to eat before their next fight. The last time he fought with an empty stomach, he nearly lost a Titan duel against an IMC grunt pilot who is manning a Brute Titan. From that day on, he vows to never fight without having something in his stomach.

" _Wonder what they have for lunch. Hopefully something better than those dreadful MREs. But first I need to take a shower…_ " Jack left the hangar before heading up to the barracks section to get his clothes before heading down to the shower area to get himself refreshed.

* * *

Meanwhile in the _Vesalius_ 's bridge, Ades is reprimanding Rau about the destruction of Heliopolis and the consequences that will ensue when they report to the Supreme Council. He can already imagine Rau and some of the Supreme Council members who are suspicious of him engage in a yelling match that'll probably last for at least an hour, possibly two.

"You know the Supreme Council will be upset if they hear neutral colonies are being destroyed. How will you be able to respond to them when you give your report?"

"How can you call a colony that's manufacturing new weapons for the Earth Forces 'neutral'?" Rau still looks at the destroyed Heliopolis while regarding Ades with his question.

"But sir…"

"Besides, most, if not all of the residents escaped from the initial onslaught so I don't see why you're fussing over this. Yes they lost their homes but compared to the Bloody Valentine Tragedy where people not only lost their lives but also their homes, this is nothing. The tragedy of Heliopolis, if anything, is quite mild."

Ades narrowed his eyes at him in a disapproving manner for comparing Heliopolis's destruction to the tragedy of Junius Seven. He did not like the way he brought up the destruction of the agricultural colony in light of the recent events that transpired a few hours ago.

" _Heliopolis's destruction is nothing compared to the J7 tragedy, Commander Le Creuset! How dare you compare those two when they're nothing alike!_ "

"Crewman, can you get the position of the enemy's warship?" asked Rau, floating over to one of the crewmembers who is still tracking down the _Archangel_. The green coat soldier shakes his head at him, composing a couple codes around the program to track the enemy's ship only for it to come up with multiple heat signatures around the debris field.

"Negative but I'm still trying sir. The debris field contains many heat signatures around the area making our scanners useless."

"Keep trying crewman. With luck, we should be able to pin their exact location before they make their move. Notify me when you do."

"Still, do you plan to go after them, Commander Le Creuset? We already lost three mobile suits already and with the current state of things, I highly doubt we can pursue the EA's warship any further. They're probably heading straight to the nearest EA post as we speak." comments Ades. Rau looks up from the crewman's computer right at his second in command.

"True, we lost our pilots during the last mission but you're forgetting that we have four of the five stolen mobile suits in our inventory. So I don't see why you're fretting over something rather trivial."

"Y-you're suggesting t-that we use them against the EA warship?" asked Ades. The masked commander floats over to the digital table containing a holographic map of the debris field.

"With the data extraction now completed, we can now use them to maximize their full combat potential, otherwise the hassle to get them from the start would've been useless. Crewman, send a message to Commander Zelman. Tell him to continue on with the search and expand their radius. We have to stop the new warship and the units at all costs before it'll cost us the war for good."

* * *

Back in the Archangel, Cooper is back in his barracks after eating his lunch and indulging himself in a nice hot shower. Thankfully, the man was able to get an entire room for himself and a solid meal instead of those vile Militia-issued ones called MREs. Call him a whiner but he does not like the disgusting, plastic taste of those meals. He would rather starve himself to death than eat shit. Hell, he would even eat an alien snake or a bug than eat MREs. An exaggeration I know but you get the point.

Dressed in a simple plain white T-shirt and baggy sweatpants, the man grabbed his TAC pad, beginning to place his usual logs into the device. Unlocking the device via a passcode, he begins to jot down in the log book.

* * *

 _Jack Davidson Cooper's Log Book 1.2_

 _BT and I are now hitching a ride in the EA ship known as the Archangel after the destruction of Heliopolis. The place tore itself apart thanks to a ZAFT team led by the infamous White Lightning himself, Commander Rau Le Creuset. Those bastards had anti-fortress weaponry known as D-equipment armed on their units as if the place was an Earth Forces base._

 _I don't know what drove him to blow a civie colony to pieces but then again, I probably don't want to know what goes on through that bastard's mind. Crazy guy if I have to say so myself._

 _Thankfully the civies left the place via lifeboats before it collapsed resulting in no casualties. Although there weren't a ton of civie deaths as I expected, I can't help but sympathize with the kids who witnessed the destruction of their home. When I looked at the now destroyed colony, I can't help but imagine what would happen to Harmony if we failed to take out the IMC's Fold Weapon and the millions of deaths that will ensue from the blast._

 _Morbid thoughts aside, when the two of us hitched a ride, the crew seems to be okay. For the most part. Mu La Flaga is one I can see getting along with since he's chill and friendly. His personality kinda reminds me of certain 6-4 member I briefly met back in Typhon. Although Murrue showed a tiny bit of hostility from the start since I knew the "secret" G-Project, which I don't blame her by the way, she's an overall nice person. Motherly if I have to say so for myself from the interactions I witnessed between her and Kira._

 _Natarle, on the other hand…boy am I gonna have a hard time getting along with her. I do hope we do end up becoming friends in the long run but kinda hard to figure out at the moment since first impressions of her weren't so great. I get it, she cares about the welfare of the ship and its crew members. Totally respect it but seriously, I wish she can relax and take a damn chill pill._

 _But that wasn't the highlight of the day. Before I met the Archangel's crew and after meeting Murrue, I encountered Kira Yamato. To be honest, the kid doesn't look that much when I first saw him. Wimpy, frail, never even worked out a single day of his life. He basically looks like the kid bullies would go after in school and pick on him 24/7. Aside from the weak look he sports, the boy has a good head on his shoulders._

 _Though, that wasn't what amazed me. The kid can actually pilot a mobile suit unit and actually win a fight against a ZAFT pilot. Quite an amazing feat for a civie if I have to be quite honest._ _Just like late Captain Lastimosa saw potential in me, I see the same spark in the boy. Even promised him to show a few tricks of the trade but I'm not going to force him if he doesn't need it. He's still hung up on the "I'm not gonna fight your war since I'm an Orb citizen" type of deal but he has to wake up and realize he's involved in this conflict. Whether he wants to admit it or not, this is the reality he has to accept._

 _Anyways, I don't have a ton of things to say other than w_ _e'll be back in the front soon enough._

 _Jack Cooper, Pilot of BT-7274, 41_ _st_ _Militia Rifle Battalion._

* * *

Saving the log, Jack closed the TAC pad before taking a light snooze. A little bit of a nap would not hurt much and getting some rest would help him concentrate in the upcoming fights ahead of them. Leaning his head on the makeshift pillow, he closed his eyes, letting sleep take over him.

While the militia pilot is snoozing, Mu walked off the lift before heading over to the teens. He weaved through a couple civilians as they frantically try to gain a room for either themselves or their families. He even had to weave through a few soldiers who are guiding families and other people to some available rooms within the warship. After weaving through some congested traffic, he finally sees Kira and his friends back all huddled up in one of the barracks. The Hawk of Endymion stops over making them look up at the blonde pilot.

"Hey there youngsters. Boy that was a nightmare trying to get passed through traffic. That aside, you feeling okay and everything?" They just nod their heads at him.

"A bit shaken up after we witnessed Heliopolis break but I think we're fine. Though we're a bit worried about our parents and wondering if they're fine."

"I'm sure your parents are fine and are probably heading to a nearby Earth Alliance installation as we speak." This lessened their worries a bit but they are still hoping they are alive and well. The Hawk of Endymion looks over to Kira.

"You know that Chief Murdoch's already pissed that we don't have enough crew members on board. So he told me to let you know that you're responsible for your machine."

"Wait, what do you mean 'my machine'?! Since when did it become my responsibility?!" Kira did not look pleased at that sort of news.

"I'm with Kira on this one, Lieutenant La Flaga. Isn't the Strike Morgenroete or Earth Forces property?" said Tolle. Mu nods his head in agreement to his point.

"True to the kid's point, the Strike _is_ Earth Forces property but for the moment, Kira will be the one to pilot it. Mr. Murdoch and Captain Ramius reached an agreement so you're the new pilot for the Strike. Congratulations."

Kira frowned at him, angry that he is now the assigned pilot for the Strike. Sure, he manned it twice but there is no way he will get back in there just because the _Archangel_ personnel decided he is the fit candidate for the machine. Seeing the upset expression on his face, Mu placed a hand on the teen's shoulders.

"Hey look, I know how you feel but right now there are three of us that can protect this ship. Even if it's for a little while, we won't make it through without your help. Everybody on this ship is depending on us. Your friends are depending on us, and even you to protect them."

"Depending on us…If we don't step up and do whatever we can to the best of our abilities, all would be pointless..."

"That's the idea. All we can do is contribute with whatever we can in our own way. Whether civilian, soldier, Coordinator, or Natural, it doesn't matter. It's gonna be a tough journey considering the circumstances we are currently facing but we'll make it. I know we will."

"But still…"

"If I were to run away from this mess I would but that's no longer an option for me. I'm not going to force you to pilot the Strike if you don't want to but if you don't give us your help, then you'll only carry a regret to your grave. Remember what Jack said to you before Heliopolis collapsed?" Kira did not say anything else, as Jack's words echoed in his mind.

" _If nobody is going to fight then who will? Just because you're a soldier doesn't mean you fight for serving one's nation! Others fight to protect their friends and loved ones back home and that's by far a more noble cause._ "

"You have the ability to make a difference so why not use it? It'll only go to waste if you don't. We have very little time before our next engagement with ZAFT so think this carefully, okay?" Before Mu can leave, Sai wanted to know where the ship is heading.

"Excuse me, Lieutenant La Flaga but I want to know where the ship is heading?"

"Oh that. The _Archangel_ will be going to the Artemis which is a Eurasian military base. Of course, we'll likely encounter some problems upon entering in…not to mention the journey to reach the Artemis is gonna be an issue in and of itself…"

With that, the man walked out of the barracks leaving the teens alone. Kira looked down on the ground for a moment before turning his attention to his friends.

"I need some alone time. If you need me, I'll be at the hangar…" He ran off to the hangar to reflect on Lieutenant La Flaga's words. Flay, who was able to pick up on a few details from the conversation, looked over to Sai wanting to know if that was actually him in the Strike.

"So you're telling me that it was actually Kira in the mobile suit?" The bespectacled teen nods his head in a tired manner.

"That's right. Kira was the one who actually grabbed your lifeboat and took it in the _Archangel_."

"Then what about Jack Cooper? What was his role in all of this?"

"He's the one escorting Kira through the debris field to make sure none of the rubble nailed your lifeboat. One hit and boom, you're already a goner." Tolle chimed in the conversation.

"But why? Why would they be in those mobile suits, most especially Kira? They told me this wasn't a ZAFT ship but an Earth Forces one." Flay pointed it out to Tolle.

"That's because Kira's a Coordinator." remarked Kuzzey in a careless manner making Tolle and Sai frowned at him for throwing Kira under the bus like that while Miriallia shook her head in disappointment.

"Kuzzey what the hell were you thinking?! What you just did was uncalled for man!" yelled Tolle. The young man raised his hands in a defensive manner.

"What? Flay wanted to know so I gave her the answer. I don't see the problem with that and I don't know why you're getting mad at me in the first place."

"Still, Kuzzey, you threw Kira under the bus for blurting out about him being a Coordinator. The ship's crew members are part of the Earth Forces and aren't really friends with Coordinators. They nearly gunned him down on the spot if it weren't for Lieutenant Ramius ordering them to stand down." said Miriallia in a disappointed manner. Flay looks like she is about to have a heart attack from the mere mention of him being a Coordinator.

"K-Kira is a Coordinator?!" The bespectacled teen placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder to calm her down.

"Yes but he's not with ZAFT. He's one of us, a treasured friend so you don't need to fear him, okay? He's never done anything to warrant such hostility."

"Then what about Jack? Is he a Coordinator by any chance? He did pilot a ZAFT unit." said Flay making Sai shake his head at his fiance.

"I don't think he is. Judging from listening in the conversation with Lieutenant La Flaga, he said the Coordinator OS installed in the ZAFT unit gave him a bit of trouble. He, with the help of BT, revamped the entire OS to suit his needs allowing him to move the machine around as if it was an extension of his body."

"BT? I don't think I understand…" Flay looked at her fiance in a confused manner at who the hell is this BT person.

"BT-7274 is Jack's AI partner. He's quite the interesting character once you meet him. Trust me, you'll be blown away when you interact with him." said Sai, still fascinated at Jack's mechanized partner. The cherry-haired lady had to hunker down for a moment to process the information she was given in such a short amount of time. While she is doing that she did not notice Jack stopping by their room.

"Yo. Anybody saw Kira by any chance?" asked Jack.

"He's in the hangar. Why?" said Tolle. The man shrugs his shoulders at the young lad.

"Just wondering. I'll be at the _Archangel_ 's locker room if you need me. I have a couple things I need to check before I head off into battle which might be soon. Ciao!" With that, he left the room heading straight to the locker area of the ship. Now that Jack is gone, silence filled the air around them. They did not say anything until Miriallia breaks the ice.

"You know, I feel kinda bad for not doing anything."

"What'd you mean by that, Mir?" Tolle looked at her, raising an eyebrow at his girlfriend.

"What I'm saying is, everybody is risking their lives to make sure everybody on board this ship is safe. Kira especially since he's protected us twice from danger." Sai, Tolle, and Kuzzey nod their heads in agreement while Flay looked a bit uncertain.

"I know what you mean, Mir but you know what? I think we should do our part like they are…contributing what we can…" Tolle looked at right at the bespectacled teen.

"Sai…you thinking what I'm thinking?" The bespectacled teen looks at everybody with a determined look on his face.

"Let's go talk with Captain Ramius and see if we can volunteer. I know that we're not supposed to join the armed forces since we live in a neutral nation but I don't think we should sit back and let Kira, Lieutenant La Flaga, and Jack do all the work. So what do you say? You in or out?"

Tolle, Miriallia, and even Kuzzey nod their heads in agreement while Flay decided to stay out, still uncertain whether or not she should join her friends. She looked down on her hands which are placed on her lap.

" _What should I do? Just what should I do?_ "

* * *

Down in the _Archangel_ 's pilot room, Jack checked to make sure his gear is still intact and ready to go. Taking off his shirt and sweatpants leaving him in his black-tight fitting boxers, he hears the doors part. The man turns around to see Kira looking at him with a surprised and rathe embarrassed look on his face.

"Hey there Kira. You need something?" Jack greets Kira with a small wave, disregarding his state of undress. The young teen shakes his head at him, eyeing at his red and black tattoos around his upper and lower body.

"N-n-not really. Just surprised to see you getting ready for combat." Jack shrugs his shoulders before noticing Kira staring at him. Smirking, he decides to tease the poor boy.

"So kid, be honest with me. You like what you see?" Just as he expected, Kira's cheeks went red at the teasing.

"I-I don't know what you mean by that Jack." Kira already became a spluttering mess as he tries to deny what Jack is implying. This only made the man grin even more, pressing on the teasing to the young lad.

"Really? Because you're face tells me a different story."

"Er…I…um…." Kira's face continued to flush red in embarrassment, leaving the poor boy in a stuttering mess. The Militia pilot could not contain himself anymore as he begins to laugh at the poor boy's expense. It was not long before the man begins to laugh at him making the poor lad look at him in a confused manner.

"W-wha?" This made the man laugh at him even more.

"Ahahaha! Oh the look on your face is priceless! Sorry but I couldn't help but tease you." Kira could only gape at him, not knowing that he was teased all the while.

"You were teasing me all along?!" yelled a displeased Kira. Jack laughed at him for a few seconds before he begins to calm himself down.

"Relax buddy, it was just all in good fun. Besides, I'm not into you whatsoever because you're half my age and I don't want to be arrested by the MPs for being a creep. No need to be so worked up over it."

The brown-haired Coordinator sighs in defeat before heading over to one of the lockers containing a light blue Earth Forces flight suit. He took off his clothes sans his underwear before placing it on before checking the suit to make sure it is not too loose around his frame. As the two finished gearing up, the two heard the door open. They looked over to see Mu entering in with a surprise expression on his face when his eyes laid on Kira now in his pilot suit.

"Well from the looks of things, I guess you already made up your mind and ready to lend us a hand, right?" Kira nods his head as he takes the helmet that matches his pilot suit.

"I thought about what you and Jack said to me and I realized that I should contribute in any way I can. I may not be a soldier but that doesn't mean I should back down from protecting my friends. Whether I have a choice or not, I along with my friends are already involved in this war."

The two men smiled at the teen before Mu went over to them to let them in on the plan.

"Nice! Now that you two are ready, let me fill you guys about our plan…"

* * *

In the _Vesalius_ , Athrun stopped by Rau's office. The door parted to the side revealing Rau facing his laptop, typing in a report for the Supreme Council. Entering in, the blue-haired elite soldier stood before his desk, saluting in front of his commander.

"Athrun Zala reporting in sir!"

"I was hoping to speak with you earlier but things went out of hand due to unforeseen circumstances within the mission and I don't need to tell you what just happened." Rau did not look up from his laptop, nodding his head in reply to the soldier making the man stand at ease. He stops making his report to turn his full attention to the young man.

"Sir, I apologize for what happened during the previous mission and for disobeying orders from a superior officer. I accept whatever responsibility that entails for my unprofessional behavior." Rau shakes his hand at him, dismissing the

"I have no intention of punishing you Athrun since I countered Captain Ades's orders. However, I do want to know your side of the story back in Heliopolis. It's not like you to perform in such a hesitant manner for a man of your station. From what I understand, you were near the machine when it was activated, yes?"

Athrun only frowned, remembering his second fateful encounter with Kira but nonetheless begins to explain himself to his superior officer.

"Sorry about that sir. I was stunned by what happened back in the colony and I failed to report about the incident."

"Go on." urged Rau. "Whatever is said in this room, stays in the room. You have my word for it."

Athrun gathers his thoughts for a minute before he begins to explain to him about his relationship with Kira.

"You see, Commander Le Creuset, the final machine, the Strike, is piloted by my childhood friend, Kira Yamato. He's a Coordinator friend of mine from the military prep school I attended on the Moon."

"My oh my, is that so?" This tidbit of information interested the masked commander and may very well serve as a piece of useful information for his upcoming plans in the future. Deciding to stow away the information in the back of his mind, he urges the young teen to continue on with his story.

"Go on. I want to know more about Kira Yamato."

"Yes sir. Well...I never dreamed we'd meet again in such a chaotic situation so I needed to be sure that my eyes aren't playing tricks on me and sure enough, he is piloting the G-Unit." Rau nods his head in acceptance before hopping off his chair.

"War definitely has a way of destroying built friendships. One minute he or she is your friend and the next, the individual becomes your enemy, fighting for the other side of the conflict. I imagine you were quite close to this Kira person am I correct?"

"Yes sir." Athrun can only look down on the floor in sadness.

"If that's the case, I'll let you launch for this next sortie."

"Uh sir?" This made the young officer look up to his superior in shock.

"You won't be able to pull a gun at such a friend. Of course, I don't want you to undergo such an experience of killing somebody that is close to you despite serving for a different side in this conflict."

"No sir! I-" Rau looks over to him evenly rendering the elite soldier to silence.

"Even if he was your friend when you two were children, you can't fraternize with the enemy. It's a serious military offense that cannot be tolerated within ZAFT and I'm sure you understand the price of such an action, Athrun."

The young man frowns a bit at such a thought of him pulling the trigger and killing Kira. The image repulsed him to no end as he would rather commit suicide or face a firing squad than commit such a crime that is killing his friend. Still, there is no harm in making an effort to persuade his superior officer so he decides to take a shot at it.

"I know sir, but Kira…he's being used by the Naturals! He's being used by the enemy. A brilliant man but fails to read between the lines to see that he's being taken advantage of. He's a Coordinator so I know what he'll say which is why I propose that instead of shooting him, let's persuade him to come to our side!"

"So you say, but what if he isn't, Athrun? There is a limit as to how many times you'll beg your friend to join our side. What would happen if he refuses to fight for ZAFT? What will you do?"

Athrun stops for a moment from the proverbial bomb being thrown at him. The man looks down on the ground, already fearing, no dreading, what would happen if he fails to persuade Kira to fight for ZAFT. After all, there is a high chance he will refuse to join due to his pacifistic nature and wanting to live a quiet, peaceful life. The teen mulls it over his head before giving his answer to the masked commander.

"If I can't persuade Kira to join our side…then I'll shoot him down myself."

* * *

The alarms immediately blared throughout the Archangel, signifying all personnel to their posts. Kira, Mu and Jack went to their respective units, hopping in to their cockpits, readying themselves for the fight. Strapping in, Jack connected his channel to Kira's.

"Hey kid, remember Mu's game plan?" The teen nods his head to the Militia pilot.

"He'll sneak in undetected and take care of the enemy ship in front of us while we take care of the enemy trying to sink the ship. Got it."

"Alright. Remember what I taught you back a couple hours ago. Relax, make your choice quickly, and be sure to never give your opponents any openings." The young man nods before Miriallia's video feed appeared in all three units. They all looked up at her in surprise. They also notice her wearing a pink Earth Forces uniform.

"Oh? What's this all about, Mir?" The teenager smiles at him before placing her headset on.

"Glad you asked Jack because I'm now your acting combat operator for the mobile suits and mobile armor of the _Archangel_. Good luck out there you three. We're all counting on you!" The young lady gave him a peace sign making him shake his head in amusement.

"Let me guess, you and the others decided to volunteer to aid the ship, am I right?"

"Got that right Jack."

"But why are you…" Before Kira can say anything, Sai cuts him off.

"Look, you, Jack and Lieutenant La Flaga are already risking a lot to make sure this ship is in one piece. We felt that it's not fair for us to sit at the sidelines and let you guys do the heavy work so we took it on ourselves to do our fair share."

The three pilots smiled in appreciation before Natarle handed out her orders for the day.

"The enemy will pull the trigger right when the _Archangel_ makes her first move. Expect ZAFT to deploy the stolen G-Units within this sortie so be on your feet when they begin to fight. Understand?"

"Don't worry, we'll handle them before things go down south. Trust us ma'am." Jack reassures the raven-haired ensign.

"Very well. As Crewman Haww told you before, Godspeed to you three." Cutting off the connection, Mu decides to take first dibs on launching.

"Jack, I'll go first since my Moebius Zero is ready to go. Gives me some ample time to get my sneak attack going before those guys can get a lock on us."

"Alright Mu. I'm gonna ask Murdoch to get BT equipped with some nice firepower against these G-Units because I'm sure as hell know we'll be needing some if we're gonna face all four of them."

"Right. Remember the plan and make sure the ship takes as less damage as possible. See you on the field you two." With that, Mu's mobile armor went up to the catapult launching bay. The man pulls down his visor before looking up to see the green signal for launch."

"Mu La Flaga, Moebius Zero, launching!" The orange mobile armor unit ignites its jet thrusters before launching from the _Archangel_. With the Moebius Zero out of the way, Jack and BT went up next. Chief Murdoch's face appeared on the screen.

"Need anything equipped son?" The man begins to list off the armaments he wants for this mission. "Yeah Chief. I need the anti-aircraft shotgun, and the machine gun. Natarle said we're going to be expecting some G-Units in this fight so I need all the firepower I can get to keep this ship alive."

"Comin right up son. Arming process shouldn't take a full minute."

The weapon storage racks opened up, cranes taking out said armaments to attach to BT. Once armed, the duo saw the Lohengrin cannons fire anti-matter beams at the rubble to make a clear path for the pilots to launch safely from the vessel.

"Let's do this partner. Jack Cooper, CGUE, launching!"

Jack and BT launched from the catapult before straying right beside the Archangel. Kira soon followed five seconds later with the Strike equipped with the Alie Striker pack. The pack consists of a flight unit, a beam rifle, shield and a beam saber. With all three pilots now out in space, BT detected four incoming signatures, one from the front while the other three coming from the rear.

" **Pilot, I've detected hostile mobile suits coming in from both directions. Four G-Units which consisting of the Blitz, Duel, Buster, and Aegis.** **The first three are heading from the rear while the last one is heading up to the front.** " Jack cracks his knuckles and neck before connecting his comms to Kira's.

"Kira!" The teenager turns around to look up at Jack.

"Yes Jack?"

"We got some bogeys coming in from both our six and twelve o'clock! I'll take care of the ones coming in from behind while you take care of the unit gunning at the front. Get me?"

"Got it." The young teen complies to his orders. Cutting the line, the two split up with Kira taking care of the Aegis while Jack went over to the Blitz, Duel, and Buster.

"It's time to see how I fare against a G-Unit pilot. Let's see if they can handle these Arc Rounds..." Jack steps on the ignition pedal, propelling him and BT forward to meet up with the three units. While that is going on, Yzak looked at the screen in his mobile suit to see the same custom CGUE from before.

"This is the same unit we encountered in Heliopolis and it's now aiding the Earth Alliance's legged warship?" Dearka's face appeared right on Yzak's screen.

"Well the pilot wasn't really nice to us so it's no surprise he or she is helping out the EA. Rumor has it this pilot placed Commander Le Creuset in a stalemate."

This grabbed the attention of the two elite pilots. Rau is one of the well-known legendary ace pilots in ZAFT yet for him to be placed in a stalemate against a complete stranger is unheard of. Even unbelievable for that matter. Silence filled the three before Nicol broke the ice.

"Are you sure about that Dearka? You sure this isn't some sort of rumor you picked up from the _Gamow_ personnel?" asked Nicol in a skeptical manner which Yzak immediately agrees with him.

"I'm with Nicol on this one. You sure this isn't some sort of rumor you heard from one of the crew members?"

"Completely honest here Yzak. In fact, when I was eating lunch, a lot of the crew members were talking about it. Quite the hotline really. Seriously, where's the confidence in me?" complained Dearka at the lack of confidence his teammates are giving him.

"You have a habit of jumping to conclusions, Dearka so don't blame us for doubting you." Nicol deadpans at the blonde elite soldier. The only noise that came out of Dearka is a groan.

"Whatever the case may be, I highly doubt the pilot is that much of a hotshot than what the crew makes him or her out to be. We have a mission to take so let's focus on it."

The trio split up around the debris field, ready to take on the incoming pilot. Once they are somewhat within closing distance, shots begin to fly around space between the two parties. Jack fired the modified MMI-M7S machine gun releasing a torrent of Arc Rounds right at the three machines.

Just like the others who witnessed such a marvel, Dearka, Yzak, and Nicol can only look and gape in awe at the sheer abilities the machine displayed in front of them. The three snapped out of their stupor, barely dodging the incoming lead storm though a few Arc Rounds did hit the mobile suit's phase shift armor. If these were regular bullets, then it is not a problem since they would barely make a dent in the armor but you have to remember, these are Arc Rounds. These are electrified bullets are meant to take down Titan shields in a rapid rate than normal bullets. These few rounds drained the electrical shielding a bit, losing their protect by a small fraction.

"What the hell is with this guy's mobile suit!? I've never seen a CGUE unit fire electric-powered rounds! Not even ZAFT's top military scientists and engineers are capable of making such weapons. How the hell is that even possible?"

"Beats me Yzak, but that pilot drained a bit of the Buster's shielding thanks to those electric bullets. I thought these machines were made to withstand anything." Dearka shrugs his shoulders at his best friend. He is just as clueless as he is after looking at the damage report of his mobile suit.

The Blitz and the Duel circled around the custom CGUE while the Buster stood back, providing focused fire right at both the _Archangel_ and the custom unit. The Duel fired a few rounds from the beam rifle causing the CGUE to fly back a bit which gave the Blitz an opportunity to strike the custom machine from behind. The stealth unit fired its Gleipnir grappling claw to grab the enemy unit closer only for it to be swatted away by the back of its servo.

The CGUE flew back a bit before utilizing the DINN's modified anti-aircraft shotgun. Taking aim at the Duel, the unit released a three 40mm tracking rounds at the mobile suit. The rockets nailed their target, creating a full lock. BT then unleashed another salvo right at the Blitz. The black machine swerved around the field causing Jack to lead his shots a bit more. He got two partial locks painted before dodging a few beams in a zig-zag pattern. From an upside down position, he fired the last tracker round, creating the final lock-on.

With two lock-on targets painted, BT opened up the multi-target missiles before unleashing a barrage of missiles right at the two units. The Blitz and the Duel flew around the debris field, hoping the rockets would lose their path but Nicol and Yzak are in for another treat. The missiles stayed on their course before hitting their target prompting Dearka to divert his attention from the Archangel to to the custom CGUE unit. He fired the 350mm gun launcher prompting Jack and BT to evade the shot, resulting in more chunks of rubble destroyed to pieces.

Seeing the pilot back off for a mere moment, he looked over to his two teammates to see their mobile suits fine and functioning.

"You guys okay?" asked Dearka. Nicol groans for a bit until he gives Dearka the A-Ok signal.

"Y-yeah I'll manage. Just a little shaken up by the action though…"

"The Duel's fine but dammit, we're not even landing a scratch on the pilot's unit." remarks Yzak, quite mad at the enemy for damaging his unit while they cannot land a single hit on the unknown pilot's machine.

"I can see why he's been able to place Commander Le Creuset in a stalemate. Not to mention, the _Archangel_ isn't sustaining a ton of damage when I took a shot at it with the Buster's beam rifle. That thing's built to withstand serious beatings." remarked Dearka.

Yzak was about to retort until he looked over to see the Strike and the Aegis flying around space with their beam sabers out, not exchanging a single shot at each other. Frowning in irritation, he decides to head over and assist Athrun in destroying the Strike.

"Where you going Yzak?" asked Dearka in confusion.

"Nicol, Dearka, you two take on the pilot and the legged ship while I'm heading over to assist Athrun in destroying the Strike. Damn golden boy…what the hell is going through that shitty head of his…" Watching Yzak leave the battlefield, the two decided to split up with Nicol engaging with the custom CGUE while Dearka went to work in dealing with the _Archangel_.

Nicol fired the Blitz's beam rifle, which is installed in the Trikeros offensive shield. Jack maneuvered around the emerald streaks of energy before firing the machine gun at the stealth unit. The machine blocked the incoming bullets before firing all three of its hypervelocity lancer darts at the custom unit.

" **Pilot, incoming darts! Advise usage of Vortex Shield to prevent them from hitting us.** " warned BT.

"On it, BT."

Jack activated the Vortex Shield, capturing all three darts within the blue magnetic field, stopping them in their tracks. The ability stunned Nicol, stopping him in his tracks. The young boy cannot help but wonder what other tricks the pilot and the machine are hiding in their sleeves.

The boy's musings were caught off as the machine threw the lancer darts back at him. In the nick of time, he swerved to the side dodging the lancer darts. His heart continued to beat erratically, already scared shitless from the attack. If he did not react soon enough, he might end up becoming a human shish kebab.

"Keep your head in the fight idiot! That's unsportsmanlike conduct in a fight so stay focused!" Jack reprimanded him before aiming his machine gun right at the Blitz. He fired a couple more arc rounds before needing to reload. Nicol dodged almost all of them except for two stray bullets hitting the Blitz's frame. Dearka flies in the fight, aiding Nicol by firing a few shots from the Buster's 90mm energy rifle to drive him away from the youngest member of the Le Creuset Team. Jack and BT evade the shots before switching over to his machine gun, firing a torrent of electric lead to divert them away from the _Archangel_.

"Alright hotshot, let's see if you can handle this!" Combining two of the rifles into a one anti-armor shotgun, the Buster unleashed a massive blast right at the custom unit. Jack and BT dodged the incoming salvo, resulting in more rubble being destroyed. Using the 40mm anti-aircraft shotgun, he fired three shots at the unit, with all three painting a full lock-on, before unleashing a cluster of missiles right at the Buster. The missiles nailed their target with relative ease since the Buster is not the fastest out of all the other prototypes due to the heavy armaments installed on the unit.

After releasing the barrage, he shifted his attention to the Blitz. He fired his machine gun right at the unit trying its best to dodge the onslaught of electrified lead. Nicol raised the Blitz's shield to block some of the incoming Arc Rounds, flying around the battlefield while doing so.

Much to Nicol's luck, Jack ran out of bullets in the machine gun prompting him to reload the weapon. Taking this opportunity, he quickly fired some beams to push him back before firing the grappling claw to snare the unit and bring it closer. Jack evaded the beams while placing a fresh new magazine in the weapon before smacking the incoming anchor to the side. He unleashed a hailstorm of Arc Rounds, tearing through the mobile suit's defenses like a hot knife through butter. The majority of the Arc Rounds nailed the arm unit holding the Gleipnir grappling claw, tearing through said unit before exploding. Reloading a new round, he fired another hailstorm, this time hitting and destroying the leg unit.

Nicol is now panic mode. The Blitz's armor cannot withstand the onslaught as the electric bullets proved to be powerful against the unit's phase shift armor, draining the shield in a rapid rate than normal. Not to mention, the Blitz's left arm unit is already destroyed within a few seconds. At the rate he is going, he might not last long against the unknown pilot.

"Dearka! I could use some help over here right about now!"

"Help's on the way Nick!" The Buster immediately disengaged the Archangel, flying next to the Blitz. He aimed the Buster's gun launcher right, getting the aiming reticle right on the machine. Once the lock is made, Dearka pulled the trigger.

"Stay clear, I'm gonna take this bastard down!"

Nicol did not need to be told twice. The young man flew the Blitz up as high as he can, preventing himself from getting smoked by friendly fire. Alarms blared throughout Jack's cockpit with BT warning him of the incoming projectile.

" **Pilot Cooper! Incoming projectile at six o'clock!** "

"I read ya loud and clear BT!" Jack maneuvered BT in an upwards direction before he can be nailed by the Buster's gun launcher. Seeing the Burst Core ready, he activated it, spitting out a hailstorm of lead right at the Buster. Dearka tried to maneuver his machine around the incoming barrage of arc rounds but it was pointless since the bullets begin to hammer the phase shift armor relentlessly and mercilessly.

When the core deactivated, Dearka's machine is riddled with holes, smoke billowing from them with sparks of electricity coursing through the frame. The Buster already lost an arm unit holding the 90mm rifle and a right leg unit. Nicol flew the Blitz over to the Buster before connecting his channel to Dearka's.

"Dearka! Are you okay in there?" asked a concerned green-haired pilot.

"Y-yeah man…I-I'm good. Argh I'm so gonna feel this one later but damn. I don't think we even landed a scratch on the pilot. Damn, just who the hell is that person!?"

Hearing the comment from the Buster pilot, Jack connected his comms to the enemy unit's just to mess around with them for a bit. "You asked so here's your answer: I'm just your next-door mercenary who just happens to kick a lot of ass!"

Nicol and Dearka both sweatdropped at the goofy answer. Who the hell answers somebody in such a manner?! Before the two elite pilots can think of a plan to fight this so-called mercenary, they saw an emergency message displayed on the screen. Their eyes widened at what they read.

"The _Vesalius_ got damaged by an ambush?" said the green-haired soldier in a stunned voice.

"They're also ordering a retreat. Even Captain Zelman is asking us to head back to the _Gamow_ immediately." commented Dearka. Before he do anything, the Archangel opened up both of its Lohengrin cannons. Gathering enough energy, the two cannons unleashed its deadly red anti-matter energy, nailing the _Vesalius_ 's engine ports.

Seeing the Nazca-class ship take on more damage is definitely a sure signal to retreat. Especially with their mobile suits busted up from the CGUE's attack.

"Time to head back. If we keep this up, we'll be toast."

"Living sounds a lot more appealing than dying. I'm with you Nick though Yzak wouldn't listen to us since he's not going to admit defeat against the EA."

"Convince him. You're his best friend after all since he'd listen to you than anybody else in the team." With that, the blonde pilot connects his radio comms to the silver-haired elite soldier's.

"Hey Yzak! Our units are damaged and are heading back to the _Gamow_. Best if you just hightail from the fight and return back to the ship." Nicol can see Yzak's irritated look on the screen, knowing full well that he will not retreat from the battle.

"Then be my guest but I'm not going to let the Strike get away this time!" Yzak closed the connection making Nicol and Dearka shake their heads at their stubborn and hotheaded teammate. The two turned around, heading back to the _Gamow_.

As Jack saw the two pilots retreat from the battlefield, heading straight to the Laurasia-class vessel. While they were retreating, he got an incoming message from Murrue. "What's up?"

"The Strike lost all of its power and is captured by the Aegis. They are retreating back to the Laurasia-class vessel known as the _Gamow_." Jack is already alarmed by the sudden news of Kira's immediate capture by the ZAFT pilot.

"What?! Show me a visual!" Murrue sent him a footage of the Aegis in its mobile armor form with the powered-out Strike in its clutches. "Alright, I'm heading over there to get him back. I'm not letting the kid be a POW under my watch."

"Good luck Pilot Cooper. Please stay safe and come back to us in one piece. Okay?" Jack raised an eyebrow at her soft behavior but nonetheless gave her his signature thumbs-up. Closing the line, he triangulated the Aegis's energy signature before dashing over to grab the kid from the enemy.

"BT, you still good in operation time?"

" **Affirmative Pilot Cooper. My battery levels are at 82%.** "

"Good. We're getting our star pilot back home."

" **Protocol 2: Uphold the Mission. New objective primary: Prevent Pilot Kira Yamato from being a ZAFT POW before it is too late. Got it.** " Jack stepped on the ignition pedal all the way down to pursue the four mobile suits. Just as he is nearing the four ZAFT pilots, Mu's video feed went live in his cockpit's screen.

"Jack, I had the _Archangel_ prep the Launcher Strike just in case those hotshots decided to pursue the kid." Jack, however, objected at such a decision.

"Call it off, it'll only make him a bigger target. You and I are adequate enough to cover his retreat. Mu, since you're near to the Aegis than I am, you take the honors in rescuing the kid while I give you some covering fire." Mu did a mock bow at Jack, not minding in the slightest in taking on a stolen G-Unit.

"Well who am I to deny such a request?" The Hawk of Endymion released the Moebius Zero's gunbarrel pods from the main body, circling around the Aegis from different angles. The autocannons begin to unleash some hell on the red unit. The mobile suit evaded some shots before getting hit on the rear in its mobile armor form. This prompted the Aegis to transform out of its mobile armor form before engaging the Moebius Zero.

While Mu had the Aegis's pilot distracted, Jack and BT turned around to look at the deactivated Strike.

"Looks like you got yourself in a sticky situation huh? Well no need to fear, Jack Cooper is here to save the day."

"J-Jack?" Kira was relieved to see Jack and Mu rescue him at the nick of time.

"One and only. Listen, Mu and I will cover your retreat so you ass better be in the _Archangel_ when that happens. Don't ask, just do it. Get me?" Without a word, Kira stepped on the ignition pedal of the Strike, not looking back at the battlefield. As Kira retreated from the field, he sees from the corner of his eye the Duel trying to pursue the Strike while the Moebius Zero is occupying the Aegis with some annoying fire.

"Ready for one more round, BT?"

" **We must uphold Protocol Two Pilot Cooper, even if my battery operation is down to twenty percent. Yes I'm in.** "

"Glad you feel the same way I do BT. Alright, let's get this guy to bug off the kid." The duo pursued the Duel who is firing at the retreating Strike. Using the modified MMI-M7S machine gun, he fired arc rounds right behind the Duel making Yzak and the Duel lurch forward.

"What the hell just hit me?" The young pilot looked over to see the custom CGUE from before engaging him in a fight. Before he can react, Jack peppered the machine with arc rounds before switching over to the modified anti-aircraft shotgun destroying the right leg unit and the left arm unit carrying the shield.

The G-Unit faltered a bit before raising its beam rifle. The machine pulled a few energy rounds but the duo flew around the shots before stepping in front of the Duel. Jack opened up his comms to contact the rather stubborn pilot.

"Hey pilot. Your teammates already retreated yet you and the Aegis pilot continue to pursue the Strike. Give it up, you already lost the fight."

"Like hell I will! I, a ZAFT elite pilot, will not lose this fight to a fucking stranger such as yourself! Now move to the side or I'll kill you myself!" Yzak grits his teeth in anger, refusing to lose in a fight like this. He is an elite pilot for God's sake! Who the hell does this piece of shit think he is, huh?

"If you want a beating then by all means I'll give you one. Just don't complain about me kicking your ass six ways till Sunday." The man shakes his head in disappointment before cracking his neck to loosen the stiffness around it. Jack threw a punch right at the machine, throwing the machine back a couple feet before being slamming the Duel's helm unit with the arc rounds. The electric rounds penetrated through the helm unit before exploding, rendering the unit headless.

"You, an elite pilot? Man, ZAFT must've lowered their standards if they considered you elite material. Hell, I've seen grunts kick way more ass than you do and that's saying something. You're way too young to beat me with that overgrown toy of yours."

Athrun saw Yzak's machine being rammed by the custom CGUE. Disengaging his fight with the Moebius Zero, the blue-haired elite pilot drove the enemy unit back with its beam rifle before turning over to the Duel. Seeing the damaged state of the machine, Athrun had his unit transform in its mobile armor form, clamping the unit in its claws before heading back to the _Gamow_. Mu flew his Moebius Zero next to Jack before connecting his comms to his.

"Yo Jack!"

"Hey there Mu. Glad to see you in one piece though I would've expected the Aegis pilot to tear your unit to pieces."

"Are you saying you have zero faith in my abilities as a mobile armor pilot?" The man gave him a mock-hurt look. Jack just playfully shrugs his shoulders at the Hawk of Endymion.

"Mobile suits seem to be equipped with better armor and weapons than mobile armors. Then again, those guys haven't faced you so they just got unlucky." The man made an "I see you" gesture at the Militia pilot.

"Uh huh whatever you say Jack. I'll be keeping my eyes on you. That aside, man you definitely tossed those G-Unit pilots like rookies. None of them even made a single scratch on you. You sure you're not a Coordinator?" The man chuckles at him for the ridiculous notion.

"Hehehe, I ain't no Coordinator, Mu. I already told Kira and the others, practice makes perfect. I don't need some gene altering BS to be a badass. Either born with it or placed in the work to be a talented pilot. I sure as hell know you weren't kicking ass starting day one in the war."

"Point taken. Let's head back and recharge since we drove those pilots away. I don't think they'll be in any condition to fight anytime soon considering the amount of damage you inflicted on them."

The two pilots went back to the _Archangel_ as the Artemis installation is in their sights.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **And that's a wrap ladies and gentlemen! Next chapter is Jack and BT along with the _Archangel_ 's crew heading straight to the Artemis base. Dun dun dun. Haha, just kidding. I'm still trying to come up with a plausible excuse that can easily fool the Eurasians and General Garcia so that they will not pry into BT or try and replicate the Titan OS. **

**That aside, let us talk a couple things about this chapter.**

 **1\. The Titan Core. I introduced** **Burst Core already in this segment of the chapter. I think you viewers are probably clamoring for me to at least have Jack utilize BT's default Burst Core ability since the Vanguard's chassis is mashed with the CGUE's chassis. Well folks, here it is. I am still debating whether or not to have only one core or have Jack use two core abilities. Again, let me know in the comments section what you guys have in mind.**

 **2\. Arc Rounds. From what I read about these type of rounds, according to Titanfall lore, these are electric-powered bullets capable of draining Titan shields at a faster rate than normal rounds. Makes sense if you think about it since Phase Shift Armor is powered by electricity so fight fire with fire. Or in this case, electricity with electricity. Bad joke but you get what I mean. So once Jack fires the modified MMI-M7S machine gun, and the bullets rip through those shields like knife through butter, then the G-Units become easy targets.**

 **3\. As you may have noticed, I did not add the part where the Strike was getting the Launcher Strike Pack just like it was portrayed in the cannon series. I felt that Jack, BT, and Mu are capable enough to handle our resident Le Creuset team and provide some cover for Kira.**

 **4\. I decided to add a secondary barrel underneath the DINN's Anti-Armor Shotgun which will store the Sonar Lock so when Jack needs to complete a lock-on, he can easily fire it from the second barrel.**

 **I think I hit just about everything. Let me know what you guys think of this chapter and do notify me if I have to correct anything within this chapter. I am always open for constructive criticism but never flames.**

 **Thanks for reading and I will see you in the next chapter. Ciao!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 **A/N:**

 **Alrighty ladies and gentlemen! We are now in the Artemis base located around in the middle of fucking nowhere with a shield that could have been used in other bases in the space front. And it is all thanks to an incompetent moron.**

 **Take that jab General fucking Garcia!**

 **What? It's true. The base is in the middle of a blasted Asteroid belt that nobody would dare cross unless they are some sort of daredevil. Not to mention, the umbrella could and should have been used in strategic locations but eh, what is done is done.**

 **Anyways, things are about to get interesting for our Militia pilot and the former Vanguard Titan as they encounter the Eurasians for the first time.**

 **I have a couple things I will say at the end of the chapter so with that said, on with the show.**

 **Legend:**

 **Hello – BT-7274 Speaking or Titan OS speaking.**

 _ **Hello**_ **– Thoughts, computer logs, or flashback.**

 **Hello** **– Radio communications, news media outlet.**

 **Disclaimer:**

 **Jack Cooper and BT-7274 and Titanfall 2 belongs to Respawn Entertainment while Gundam SEED mobile suits and characters belong to Sunrise and directed by Mitsudo Fukuda. I own my OC characters.**

* * *

Back in the _Gamow_ the mechanics begin to work on all four stolen G-Units. The mechanics cannot help but be alarmed at the damages they sustained in the fight.

"I want a few teams to work on the Duel, Blitz, and the Buster! They're the ones needing maintenance the most and make sure they're in top shape before deployed in the next mission! The Aegis will be the last since it received the least amount of damage compared to the others."

While the mechanics diligently worked on repair and maintenance, the _Gamow_ 's pilot room is quite a different story. Yzak grabbed Athrun by the collar of his pilot uniform, hitting him against the wall.

"You goddam bastard! What the hell were you thinking back there!? Are you out of your fucking mind!? If you hadn't acted against orders, we would've been dead right on the spot! What do you have to say about that genius!? Answer me goddamit!"

" _Well you weren't much better yourself Yzak since you went against orders too…_ " Dearka shakes his head in disappointment as well, though he cannot blame Athrun for the most part. After all, his best friend is the one who decided to fight against the mercenary who is, by far, way high of a league above them. He is still amazed to this day how neither of them got killed by the CGUE's pilot.

Then again, it is better to never question Lady Luck because she may end up taking it away and place it to good use somewhere else. Nicol just walked in to see two of his teammates fighting one another. Being the peacemaker of the team, he breaks them up.

"Hey break it up! Now's not the time to be arguing amongst each other." Yzak turns around to look at the green-haired boy with a heated look.

"We went out there with four machines! Four! Yet we still failed to hit them. Not to mention, we couldn't even hit that damn custom-made CGUE unit! Argh, this is so humiliating!"

"But taking it out on Athrun isn't going to do anything, Yzak."

Yzak gritted his teeth in anger before releasing Athrun, heading back to his barracks to take out his frustrations with Dearka trailing after him. When the two left the room, Nicol turned his attention to his teammate and friend. He cannot help but notice something was amiss whenever he would fight the Strike. Almost as if he knew the pilot of the unit that could have belonged to their late friend, Rusty.

"As much as I don't want to agree with Yzak, I can't help but side with him on this one. It isn't like you to just disobey orders on a whim after facing the Strike. If there's anything I can-" Athrun raises his hand, stopping Nicol in his tracks.

"I appreciate you're looking out for me Nicol. I really do but for now, just give me some time for myself…"

Athrun left the pilot room leaving Nicol alone in the room. He took a sigh before watching the mechanics diligently work on his machine.

* * *

In the _Vesalius_ 's bridge, a green coat ZAFT crewman gives Rau a slip of paper. Taking it from him, the masked commander read what is written on the note before handing it over to Ades. The man takes a look before his eyes widened at what he just read.

"A summon to appear before the Supreme Council?" Taking the paper, he looked over to his commanding officer. "You got to be kidding me. After backing them into a corner like this…"

"I imaged the destruction of Heliopolis made things…quite hectic at the council right now. Probably rubbed the other members the wrong way. Well I guess it can't be helped."

"So what should we do now, Commander Le Creuset?" asked Ades.

"We'll leave the _Gamow_ here since they didn't incur a lot of damages unlike the _Vesalius_. They'll be the ones to pursue the legged ship. Send a message to Captain Zelman and tell Athrun return to the _Vesalius_ immediately. We'll return to the homeland as soon as repairs are done."

* * *

Jumping from the _Vesalius_ to the _Archangel_ , our aforementioned two pilots, namely Jack Cooper and Mu La Flaga, head back to the hangar where a team of mechanics await them to begin repairs. Jack directed BT back in the recharging station while the Mu parked his mobile armor next to the Vanguard Titan turned mobile suit.

Jack hopped off BT before looking over to see Murdoch knocking on the Strike's cockpit.

"What's the matter Chief?" asked Jack.

"Can't get the kid to come out. Did something happen to him out in the fight?" The man shakes his head to the chief mechanic.

"Not that I know of. What's the code of the Strike?"

"754-982."

He typed the numbers within the keypad, the cockpit hissing open. Looking in, he sees the teen gripping the controls in a death-like grip. His purple eyes losing the bright color it once had, sweat pouring heavily down his face, the glass tint of his helmet's visor fogging up a tiny bit.

Well shit, this is a sure sign of combat shock alright. Jack has seen a fair share of Militia recruits go into such a state the first time they ever witnessed the brutal and chaotic combat of the Frontier for the first time. The kid sure shows some signs of it and the stress seems to have caught up with the poor lad.

"Well there you have it Murdoch. The boy's gone into combat shock."

"Combat shock? We only encountered the pilots who stole the G-Units out there. Not like we're facing a battalion of GINNs or something insane."

"Even so, the kid's not adept to full-blown combat just yet. Still needs to adjust a bit before he gets the hang of it. I've seen it many times before with some being able to cope and adjust while others broke down or went insane."

Murdoch sighs a bit, shaking his head before looking at Jack who is gently and carefully approaching the kid. "One way or another the youngster has to adjust because this'll be a frequent thing."

"He will, Murdoch don't worry. I'm sure the kid can pull through it. He just needs some time." He looks right at the kid, carefully unclipping his seatbelt off him.

"It's all over, son. The fighting's done. You've done a good job, keeping the _Archangel_ and your friends safe." Jack gently pried his hands off the controls, making Kira look up to him. He blinked once, twice, and thrice before looking down at his hands. He stayed silent for a minute before looking up to the Militia pilot.

"I-is this going to happen every time we go out to fight? Will this be a reoccurring thing from now on…"

"First time's always the worst but don't think about it too much. It'll make you more stressed out and you don't need that in your system. For now, feel proud of your accomplishment. You've protected everybody on this ship and for that, Mu and I are grateful. You hungry?"

"Sure. Food sounds really good…"

Kira gently got off the Strike's cockpit before Murdoch handed him a water bottle. He accepted the drink, taking off his helmet before chugging it down like a man dying of thirst. Emptying the contents within the bottle, he threw it in the trash bin before accompanying Jack to the cafeteria.

Approaching the cafeteria, Jack and Kira grabbed their meals before the former sees Mu hailing over them. Wondering what he wants, he and the brunette teen went over to the table sitting in front of him.

"Yo Jack, Kira."

"Hey there Mu. What you need?" greeted Jack.

"Well I forgot to tell you two something but now that you're here, now's the chance that I can do it."

"Tell us what?" Jack looked at him confused, wondering why the man is talking to them as if he has some sort of dark, forbidden secret.

"Something us pilots need to do before we enter in the Artemis."

"Artemis? That's the nearest allied base?" The Hawk of Endymion nods his head at Jack.

"Yup. That's our nearest stop since the rest are too far from our reach. Regardless, I want you two, most especially you Jack, to lock up your machines. Make sure nobody gets in no matter what."

The brunette teen, however, was confused about his request. Why go through the trouble of locking up their respective mobile suits if they are going to stop at an allied base for supplies? It would not make sense for them to shut their machines down if their allies are doing an inspection which is probably a mandatory protocol throughout all EA bases both in Earth and in space.

"Why's that the case? I don't see why we have to go through all the trouble in locking them up if we're going to an allied base. Would it not be a violation of protocol within the Earth Forces?" asked a confused Kira. Mu regards the boy with a serious expression on his face.

"Because my dear boy, I trust the Artemis's staff, which is made of Eurasians, as far as I can throw them and so does everybody in the _Archangel_." This surprised the two for somebody like Mu to say such a thing to about their allies.

"I've heard stories about the head honcho of this base, Eurasian General Gerard Garcia, from my buddies and none of them are good. I wouldn't be surprised if he tries to hold everybody here hostage." He turns his attention from Kira to Jack. "Not to mention, force you to surrender BT and the secrets stored in your buddy to him. I'm sure I don't need to spell the types of trouble it might entail if that were the case."

"Oh great. We have a schemer in charge of a blasted base in the middle of nowhere and a whole staff that's willing to hold their ally hostage in a time of war. That's just fine and dandy." The Militia pilot is already making plans to prevent this bastard from getting his grubby hands on BT. The last thing he needs is for a scheming general to create mobile suits with a Titan OS and Titan weapons.

Cooper's helmet immediately glowed making Kira and Mu jump out of their seats, scared shitless at the reaction.

" **Pilot, I have told you many times a negative mindset would not and will not help in a dire situation.** " said BT.

"Well sorry if I'm acting pessimistic, BT, but considering we're heading straight to a base filled with scheming bastards ready to take advantage of the situation I think I'm justified in my reaction." commented a cheesed Cooper.

" **I detect sarcasm.** " Cooper groans at his partner, palming his face before getting back to business.

"So BT, got what you need from the conversation?"

" **Affirmative, Pilot Cooper. What do you want me to do when the** _ **Archangel**_ **'s entire staff is docked into the Earth Alliance Artemis Installation?** " asks BT from the other end.

"For now, I'll unscrew you from the CGUE frame. That should shut the cockpit down and prevent anybody from busting in."

" **I see. Is there anything else that I need to be notified about?** "

"No, I think we're good. I'll contact you if I need any help." BT disconnected from the chat, taking a big bite from his meal before looking at the two.

"You were saying, Mu?" Shaking himself off his stupor he focuses back on the task at hand.

"Right. Unless it's Murdoch or anybody from the _Archangel_ , do not let anybody from the Artemis enter in. If you have a devious plan then use it but otherwise, don't. Even if it's at gunpoint. Understand?" The two acknowledge his order before the man got up from his seat.

"I'll be in the hangar to lock down my machine but if you need me, I'll be there. I just hope things will go well as I hope but I'm not gonna get my hopes up…"

The two watched the mobile armor pilot leave the cafeteria before returning to their meal. As they ate, Kira could not help but be slightly nervous about entering the Artemis considering how Mu acted.

"You don't think we'll encounter some problems like he mentioned before? I mean, he heard stories from his comrades which could mean that any of those can have slight exaggerations to it." Kira commented to Jack. The man does not say anything for a minute, just finishing up his meal before placing his eating utensils down on the tray.

"A person I knew once told me to never doubt a person whose gut feeling picks up danger. I've taken that lesson to heart ever since and it never failed me at all. Not even the slightest."

"E-eh? What do you mean by that Jack?" asks Kira in confusion, wondering where he is getting at.

"Mu doesn't seem to be the one to distort the truth to scare us. He doesn't strike me as that sort of person and from looking intently at his body language, he is sincere about what he says."

"B-but this is an allied base! Surely they wouldn't hold us hostage or exploit us for an ulterior motive."

The man shakes his head at the somewhat naïve teen. "Sorry to break it to you kid but it looks like we'll be experiencing it first-hand. There'll always be a few individuals in any army who have ulterior motives than taking any interest in what their army fights for. They're simply using their allies as tools to achieve said goal and won't hesitate to throw them once they're usefulness is up."

"That can't be…"

"Ugly truth, I know but it's just the way the world works. Anyways, finish your lunch since you have to lock up the Strike. The sooner you do it the better."

"W-well what are you going to do?" asked Kira, seeing the man about to leave the cafeteria with his tray in hand.

"Me? Hm…good question. Maybe take a tour around the facility or something of that nature. Who knows, maybe I'll be able to find something rather interesting? One thing's for sure, I won't be around the _Archangel_ when those bastards come in to inspect the whole place."

Jack took his tray back to the front before heading back to his room, leaving Kira to finish up his meal before heading to the hangar to do what Mu instructed them.

* * *

Up in the _Archangel_ 's bridge, the crew watched the Artemis dissipate its shield as the vessel neared the base's port.

"Ma'am, we got a message from Artemis. Request to enter port acknowledged. An inspecting officer is being sent."

"Acknowledged Crewman Koenig. Thanks goodness we arrived in time." Murrue breathes a sigh of relief, sinking into her chair a bit. She took a second to relax before placing her officer's cap on her head.

A minute later, the doors opened up revealing Commander Biddulph and an officer behind him armed with a rifle. The two officers cannot help but raise an eyebrow at the officer behind him carrying a firearm just for an inspection. Biddulph wore a disinterested look as he inspected the ship's bridge from every angle whilst ignoring the crew members in the process. Natarle, and Murrue offered their salutes to him and the officer with neither of them returning said gesture. Already first impressions are turning sour right from the get-go.

"Sir, thank you for granting the _Archangel_ and her staff to enter the Artemis's port." said Murrue in a professional tone, restraining herself from attacking Biddulph for his rude behavior.

"Mhm." That is the only reply the man can ever give to them. When the _Archangel_ parked itself in the port, Tolle noticed armed Eurasian personnel wearing spacesuits and jetpacks guarding the ship from all angles. Not to mention, more are coming in as if they are ready to do a raid.

"Uh Captain Ramius, what's going on here?" asked Tolle. Just then, a squad of the Eurasian soldiers went in the bridge, with their rifles aimed at them. The rest of the Archangel personnel raised their hands save for Natarle and Murrue. The former narrows her eyes right at Biddulph at the ridiculous notion that is currently raging right now.

"What is the meaning of this, Commander Biddulph!? I request an explanation of your actions immediately!" yelled Natarle making some of the soldiers aim their rifles at her. The man raises his hand making his soldiers lower their weapons a bit.

"I'm just blockading the ship's control and fire security control systems as a security measure."

"Blockading but the way you're doing…"

"Your ship isn't registered in military data banks so naturally, it doesn't have an identification code that we'll recognize. Given the circumstances we did permit you to enter port but unfortunately, we haven't recognized you as our allies."

"Still you can't-" Natarle did not have a chance to finish her sentence since she is cut off by Biddulph.

"This is a military facility. I'm sure you'll understand that much. Now then, I want some high-ranking officers to come with me. You'll have to explain the situation to us in General Garcia's office."

Both Murrue and Natarle frowned at the Biddulph but nonetheless complied to his orders. The two left the bridge with him and an armed escort. As they left the bridge, they cannot help but look at the ship locked down with Eurasian guards around the corner. Moving along, they see Mu with his hands up along with another armed guard behind him, pointing his rifle at his back.

"Stand down soldier, he'll be coming with us since he's another ranked officer on board the ship. I don't want him harmed when I present him to General Garcia." ordered Biddulph. The soldier complies to his orders, lowering his rifle down. With all three of them assembled, Biddulph and his armed escort reached the exit, loading them in a shuttle. Seeing their Eurasian commander hop inside with the three officers in tow, the other guards outside the ship embarked in their shuttles, leaving the port and back to the heart of the base.

While that was going on, a few Artemis personnel remaining in the ship, rounded up the mechanics and the other crew members, shoving them either in their barracks or in the cafeteria. Coming in the cafeteria was Murdoch, Chandra, Romero, Arnold and Jackie with their hands behind their heads.

"You gotta be kidding me! What the hell is wrong with you guys?!" yelled a disgruntled Murdoch as he along with the others filed in the cafeteria.

"Shut up and get in! Anymore fuss and we'll not hesitate to use lethal force if necessary!" ordered a Eurasian soldier as he and his colleagues went in, taking their posts around the place.

"Damn bastards…" Murdoch took a seat next to Kira while the others sat in different sections of the cafeteria. Tense silence reigned the air before the civilians started to resume whatever they were doing.

"Eurasia is supposed to be an ally, right? Shouldn't they get along with the Atlantic Federation?" asked a confuse Sai.

"Well yeah, we usually get along with them…but that's not the problem here." said Jackie.

Romero takes a sigh, shaking his head in disappointment and frustration. "The problem is the identification code. The _Archangel_ doesn't have one which makes them suspicious of us."

"That's what these guys are worried about? They need some identification code to allow us in?" Tolle raised an eyebrow at the ludicrous reasoning.

"Apparently. They think we're spies or something like that." said Chandra.

"If you ask me, that's just an excuse. There's something else going on here that we don't know about." Murdoch looks around to see a certain mercenary not with them in the cafeteria. "Hey kid, where's Jack? I don't see him with us here." asked Murdoch, whispering in Kira's ear.

"He's not here in the ship."

"What do you mean he's not here?! Did he abandon us in this situation!?" Murdoch looks like he is ready to track down Jack and kill him on the spot. Kira quickly shakes his head, telling him something else.

"No, he didn't. He said he's going to look around the base and see what he can find around the Artemis. Probably looking for a way to weaken the base and give us an exit."

"How's that possible? The whole place is guarded from head to toe. It'd be suicide for him to go alone by himself. Can he even pull it off?"

"I don't know how he'll do it." Kira gives him a shrug. "I too also find it quite suicidal but he told me to trust him. If he can handle three pilots by himself, then I'm sure he'll be fine."

Murdoch huffs, crossing his arms on his chest. "I hope that guy is right because if he doesn't, there'll be hell to pay."

Speaking of our Militia hero, Jack was sneaking around the _Archangel_ undetected thanks to the cloaking device installed in his pilot gear. Before he left the white warship, he unscrewed BT's core from the CGUE's frame, strapping the core to his side leaving the ZAFT unit a metallic husk. Without his partner's AI core in the frame it would be impossible for those snooping Eurasians to pry the cockpit open and extract all the Titan data from within. He also gave Kira a communications device just in case matters are starting to get too hairy.

Equipped with his suppressed RE-45 Autopistol, his Smart Pistol MK6, and his suppressed Hemlok BF-R M1A3 with an attached HCOG scope, he easily sneaked through the ship, shooting down unsuspecting Eurasian guards with ease. He was able to spook one poor unsuspecting bastard before placing a bullet in between his eyes permanently silencing him for good.

Reaching the hangar, he spots six guards with four walking around the catwalks, while two are on the ground floor guarding the exit. Activating his cloak, he immediately sets his sights on the lone guard walking on the top level of the hangar. The guard walked a few paces before stopping. Taking his chance, he quickly scoped in his Hemlok, squeezing a three round burst right through his head. The guard fell down immediately.

" _One down, five more to go._ "

Cooper spotted two more targets down the lower catwalk so he immediately hopped on said catwalk, landing behind the oblivious Eurasians. Taking a knee, he aims his rifle before firing another two bursts, killing them simultaneously.

"What the? What's going on over there?" A suspicious Eurasian guard looks over to where the two men down. Picking up his rifle, he begins to walk over to their position, unknowingly walking right by Cooper. Holstering his rifle, he takes out his combat knife, ready to execute the poor bastard.

Cooper immediately uncloaked himself, crouching as he stalks his target. When the guard immediately stopped, he looked down at his two dead comrades. He was about to alert his other comrades only for Cooper to kick him right at the back causing him to stumble forward. The pilot cloaked himself when his target turned, making the man look around the for the source only to find nobody. Getting closer, Cooper uncloaked himself, jabbing the knife right on his neck.

"Shh…that's it. Don't fight it, just accept it. That's it. Goodnight." Cooper silently cooed to the dying guard. He slowly brings his body down on the floor, placing his rifle next to him in a quiet manner before grabbing his knife, smearing the blood on the guard's uniform.

Holstering his knife, he turns his attention to the last two Eurasian guards standing there, looking bored. He quietly hops down from the catwalk right behind a couple of crates right in time when his cloaked timed out. Deciding to wait for the cloak to recharge, he tuned in on their conversation, seeing if he can get some information about the people in charge of this base.

"Man, I'm bored out of my fucking mind, Anton. Are you sure these are the general's orders?" said the first Eurasian guard.

"Yeah they are. Have you ever doubted our boss before Lucius?" retorted Anton.

"Just a bit but seriously, we have to stand on guard duty the entire time? Almost as bad as monitor duty to be honest." complained Lucius.

"Sounds like a you-problem. If you're so damn bored, then go make some rounds around the place. Might ease up your boredom problem."

When the conversation was over, Jack saw the recharge meter filled up. Deciding to never bother cloaking himself since nobody is around other than those two greenhorns, he popped up from his place, with his Hemlok rifle at the ready.

"W-what the…"

"Surprise motherfuckers!" Jack immediately fired two accurate three-round bursts in those two guards, killing them instantly and silently. He pushes their bodies out in the Artemis's port while checking to make sure nobody is around to see it. With the coast clear, he immediately spots an elevator lift.

Cracking his knuckles, Jack has BT upload a mini-map of the complex.

"BT, upload a mini-map of the place to my HUD."

" **Affirmative. Initiating download sequence.** "

BT begins the downloading sequence which takes a couple seconds before uploading it to his helmet's HUD. Marking some of the facilities, the Militia pilot and his Titan friend begin their "tour" around the Artemis.

"Alright, Artemis. Let's see what you have to offer…"

* * *

General Gerard Garcia and his executive officer, Stefan Cazacu, looked at the multiple screens showcasing the many angles of the majestic vessel known as the _Archangel_.

"So this is the top-secret military project of the Atlantic Federation. They call this warship known the _Archangel_. Who would've thought something like this would jump right into our laps?" remarks Garcia.

"So the rumors of Heliopolis being involved with the project is true?" asked Stefan making the scheming Eurasian general nod his head.

"Looks like those rumors appear to be true but I could care less at this point. Still this is an opportunity that cannot be passed up. We'll invite the crew to spend some time here." And by spending time, he means holding the crew hostage but I guess I do not have to tell you that right? A knock occurs from the other side of the door making the two look back at it.

"Yes, what is it?" asked Garcia.

"Pardon me for interrupting something important sir. I have the three officers from the unidentified vessel with me." answered Biddulph.

"Just in time, Commander Biddulph. Come on in."

The doors parted, revealing Biddulph, Murrue, Natarle, and Mu. Garcia clears his throat before standing up from his chair to greet his "guests".

"Welcome to the Artemis. My name is General Garcia, head of this military base. I hope our staff members did not give you too much trouble and have greeted you with welcoming arms."

The three did not seem to buy the so-called "welcoming arms" bullshit but they are not in the mood to argue with the Eurasian general. Garcia sat down before opening up his laptop. He pushes the hand scanner forward, motioning them to place their hands on it. The three did just that before the man's laptop brings up their military IDs.

"Lieutenant Murrue Ramius, Lieutenant Mu La Flaga and Ensign Natarle Badgiruel. It appears that your identifications are genuine Atlantic Federation IDs. For a minute I thought you were enemy spies disguising yourselves as Earth Forces personnel but it seems that my paranoia is getting the better of me."

"We apologize for the trouble sir." said Mu.

"It's not a big deal, Lieutenant La Flaga. In fact, I've come across your impressive record, Hawk of Endymion."

"You have?" asked a surprise Mu.

Garcia nods his head. "Indeed I have lieutenant. I too also fought in the Grimaldi Front."

"Is that so? Then you must've been part of Commodore Villard's unit."

"Correct but due to the unfortunate circumstances in that battle, we had orders to retreat. However, thanks to your heroic efforts in taking down five GINNs, it gave everybody a morale boost in this troubling time."

"Why thank you very much sir." Reminiscent talk is over. It was then that his blue eyes gain a devious glint in them.

"Though it surprises me that you of all people would embark on its ship, much less be part of the vessel's crew. Care to explain that to me, Lieutenant La Flaga?"

Mu knows the game the general is playing but he is not going to give in just yet.

"Unfortunately, being on a special mission, I'm not at liberty to divulge much information." The man just shrugs his shoulders at him. If the man is stubborn to give him any information about the ship, then so be it. One way or another, he will get his hands on it.

"Very well. I shall respect your answer but you have to understand, you won't be expecting to get resupplied right away."

"General Garcia, with all due respect, it's crucial for us to head towards lunar headquarters immediately. Not to mention, we're being pursued by ZAFT." implored Murrue.

"ZAFT you say?" The Eurasian general presses the red button on the remote, showcasing the three officers a lone _Gamow_ heading straight to Artemis's impenetrable umbrella.

"The Laurasia-class ship? I thought there were two ZAFT vessels pursuing us?" Natarle looked at the screen, somewhat confused about the current scene she is looking at.

"I don't know what second ZAFT vessel you're talking about, Ensign Badgiruel, but as you can see, this one has been wandering around the umbrella for quite some time." The man flashed them a dangerous grin making the three officers wary at the man's devious behavior.

"Regardless, one or two enemy vessels isn't that much of an issue for us but this means that you can't leave here. Even if we did resupply you, do you think we'd let you leave so easily?"

Mu placed his hands on the table. "Sir, please be reasonable about this. They're after us, not you. We have a big target painted on our heads and we can't drag the Artemis into our mess. At least understand that."

The man laughs at the Hawk of Endymion. "Damage? To the Artemis? Those ZAFT bastards are not going to do a goddamn thing. Besides, they'll grow tired and eventually leave. They're probably needed in an important battle than wasting their time pursuing you."

"However, they're-" Garcia raises his hands silencing him.

"Don't worry about it, Lieutenant La Flaga. They won't do anything as long as the umbrella is up. Now, I suggest all of you to get some rest. You seem to be tired from the journey so I'll have rooms prepared for you." Pressing the same red button on the remote, a soldier came in, saluting to the general.

"We'll get in touch with the lunar headquarters once they leave. From there, we'll plan everything."

"Are you sure the Artemis is safe with the umbrella surrounding the base, General Garcia?" asked Natarle.

"I assure you, Ensign Badgiruel, the Artemis is as safe as a baby being carried in the arms of a loving mother. You have nothing to worry about." He then turns to the soldier that came in his office. "Take them to their room."

"Yes sir!" The soldier saluted before escorting them out of Garcia's office. Meeting them were two armed guards who escorted them to a rather luxurious suite before locking them in with the guards posted outside the suite.

Inside, the three officers are having a conversation about what transpired in the Eurasian facility. Natarle is pacing back and forth around the suite, venting her frustrations to the world. "Sure, the _Archangel_ may be an unregistered but the treatment we're getting is unbelievable!"

"Can't be helped. Right now, they don't want us to return to the ship but what I'm concerned about are the guys here in the Artemis."

"What do you mean by that, Lieutenant La Flaga?" asked a confused Murrue.

"The umbrella is impenetrable, not allowing anything, even lasers, to pass through the shield which made them lazy and rather complacent. They think they're safe since they're not in a strategic location but do you think that'd last for long?"

The two did not say anything to the man, letting silence reign in the atmosphere.

"Regardless, we have to figure out a way to return to the _Archangel_ and get out of here. We've overstayed our welcome and if we don't have a plan, then we won't be able to help out in any major front in this war." said Mu making the others agree to his point.

* * *

Just as Mu, Murrue, and Natarle are being held captive in their room, Cooper and BT are doing some investigation around the base.

"Excuse me? What'd you say?" asked Cooper, glaring right at the camera.

Erm, excuse me, "tour" around the Artemis.

"That's more like it."

" **Pilot, it is ill-advised to cause an interruption within the flow of the story. It will upset the audience members.** " BT reprimands the pilot making shrug unapologetically.

"Upset the story my ass. Those guys can handle it. I mean, all of the audience members have at least watched a show where the characters do this type of gig so why can't I do the same? Not fair in my opinion."

The little interruption aside, the Militia hero continues his trek around the complex. While he looks around Artemis, he cannot he cannot help but shake his head in disappointment at how lightly and haphazardly guarded the base is. He did not even have to use his cloak as often as he would think he would, making it easier for him to move around the complex without being detected.

Not to mention, he spots a couple guards literally sleeping on the job with their rifles plopped on the floor like pieces of discarded trash.

"Even us grunts weren't this lazy on guard duty, despite it being a shitty job..."

" **Agreed on the assessment Pilot Cooper. The Artemis personnel and staff members do a poor job in maintaining security around the base. This is a breach in the Earth Forces protocol manual and must be corrected.** "

Jack snorts at the idea of these guys beefing up the security systems.

"Highly doubtful they're going to do anything about the security around here. First off, ZAFT didn't attack them due to the umbrella shield covering the base from head to toe and everything around it. Second, this place is in the middle of nowhere and isn't a major threat in any way, shape or form so ZAFT just ignored them. Third, these guys have so much faith in the umbrella since the shield is impenetrable it made them lazy and complacent."

Trudging along, he continues to move through the base until he stops at one of the empty offices within the complex. Taking a peek inside, he sees nobody in the office. Taking advantage of the opportunity, he takes out his data knife, prying the lid of the keypad open. Inserting the knife into the connector slot, Cooper pressed the button on the handy device, initiating the hacking sequence.

The procedure now complete, he closes the keypad's plate before the doors parted to the right side. Entering in, he gets to work.

"Alright let's unravel General Garcia's true colors. BT, keep an eye out for me will ya? Warn me when they're about to come in."

" **Very well, Pilot Cooper.** "

Opening the computer, Jack connects his USB before he begins to search around, finding anything he can dig up on the man. Couple minutes went by until he found some rather interesting stuff on the no-good Artemis general.

" _Well, well, well, what do we have here…_ "

Clicking on his personal files, he looks up some rather interesting information regarding the no-good general. General Garcia obtained his rank thanks to him knowing a few people within the Eurasian political circle, and never had to go through military school or basic training.

" _Will you look at that. The head honcho is a political general. Kinda explains why the fucking dumbass placed the umbrella in a non-strategic base such as the Artemis. There are probably very few IMC leaders who are incompetent but even they weren't this bad compared to Garcia._ "

Jack scrolled down the computer to see him involved in some shady business with black market dealers, such as nuclear weapons and illegal firearms deals.

" _Why am I not so damned surprised? Of course he'd have some dealings within the black market._ "

Scrolling through the files, Jack indeed saw a couple incidences of him holding some friendly units hostage, and in some of those cases, robbing whatever valuable assets they have before killing them in the process. Take note here, ladies and gentlemen, that the majority, if not all of those said forces were from the Atlantic Federation.

Adding more to the growing list, Garcia and a few other generals within the Eurasian side of the Earth Forces had been kidnapping, or as he placed it, "conscripting" Coordinators. Once instated in the army, they then exploit the victims to fight for them, sometimes injecting them with some drugs to make them docile. The files also talked about how Garcia would use utilize these kidnapped Coordinators and stolen inventory to betray the Earth Alliance when he has the chance which also raised a major red flag.

Other than that, the man was involved in a couple scandals which are irrelevant since most of them occurred in the Eurasian Federation and are not involved with the military so he dashed them out.

Downloading everything in his USB, he unplugged it from the computer before keeping it on his person. He may as well show Murrue and the others about this later on.

"We good there BT?" asked Jack.

" **Indeed Pilot Cooper. I recommend we leave the office before an Artemis personnel comes in and alerts the rest of the base.** "

"I was about to say that BT." Picking up his AI partner, he strapped the core to his side before leaving the office, exploring more of the Artemis base.

* * *

In the _Gamow_ 's bridge, Dearka, Yzak and Nicol are gathered around the holographic table with Captain Zelman at the head of it. Having been given the task by Rau to pursue the _Archangel_ , he has been cooking up a plan to get through the barrier.

"As you already know, gentlemen, the umbrella doesn't allow anything to pass through it. Be it energy weapons or ballistics weapons, nothing enters in. The base, however, cannot fire their guns either."

This made Dearka snort in amusement. "In other words, those guys can't even go on the offensive and destroy us. Kinda dumb if you think about it. I mean, who the hell in their right mind would create such a device?"

"As much as I agree with you on that part, Lieutenant Elsman, the shield is only meant to be used for defensive purposes. We didn't bother with the Artemis at this point since the base isn't in a strategic location, nor will it give us anything advantageous over the Earth Forces."

"Still, do you think the Eurasians would give them anything while they're in the base?" asked Yzak. The _Gamow_ 's captain shakes his head at the silver-haired pilot.

"Considering the mistrust that's been going on between the Atlantic and the Eurasian Federations, and the fact that the _Archangel_ and the G-Unit are from the Atlantic Federation, it's doubtful they'll be given supplies. They're allies out of necessity but they're not friends by any means necessary." answered Zelman.

"Out of all EA bases they could've picked, they've gone to the most bothersome spot in space. I wonder what possessed the legged ship's captain to go there in the first place."

"So what's the game plan, Captain Zelly? Sit on our asses, looking all pretty and wait for them to crawl out of the base?" Dearka snickered making Zelman and Yzak look at him with disapproval.

"Stop joking around Dearka! When Commander Le Creuset returns, do you want us to say we just sat down and did nothing. That's just disgraceful."

"Geez, calm down, I was just joking around. Man, you guys sure are buzzkills."

"The umbrella isn't opened all the time, is it?" asked Nicol. The ship captain turned his attention to him.

"No, not all the time Lieutenant Amalfi. It's normally deactivated unless there's an enemy presence in the area. Even if we did approach it while the shield is closed, they'd notice us before we get within fortress range."

It was then the cogs within Nicol's brain begin to turn. "If we send out normal mobile suits, they'd immediately bring the shield up but I believe my machine can easily pull this off."

All eyes went on him. "Explain, Lieutenant Amalfi." said a rather curious Zelman. He wants to know how his machine can infiltrate the base.

"The Blitz has an interesting function aside from its phase shift armor. The G-Unit is installed with a stealth feature called Mirage Colloid. Once activated, the particles within the system block infra-red emissions along with bending visible light and radio waves making it undetectable to radar, thermal detection and to the naked eye."

Nicol placed his hands on the table, looking at his comrades with a determined look in his amber eyes.

"As you mentioned before, the base would activate its umbrella when there's an enemy presence within its range. So why not fool the enemy into believing that we're leaving the base? It'll lower the umbrella allowing me to eliminate the reflectors and once that's done, launch Dearka and Yzak and all three of us can take out the base, the _Archangel_ , and the mobile suitsin one hit."

All of three of them had to admit, his plan is a solid one. Yet despite the major points Nicol placed on the table, it is a risky, and rather dangerous plan to execute.

"Are you sure you want to embark on this rather risky endeavor, Lieutenant Amalfi? What if your plan doesn't work?" asked a skeptical Zelman.

"Unless we take Dearka's plan and report to Commander Le Creuset that we didn't do anything, it's the only option we have captain.

The man looked at the table for a minute before giving the young elite pilot the green light. "Very well. Lieutenant Amalfi, your orders are to bring down the Artemis's impenetrable umbrella undetected while _Gamow_ leaves its detection range. Time is of the essence here, young man. Is that understood?" Nicol saluted right in front of the man.

"Yes sir!"

"Alright. Suit up and get into your machine. I'll contact you when the shield is lowered. Good luck, Lieutenant Amalfi." When Nicol left the bridge, the captain turned to his crew.

"Crew! Turn the _Gamow_ around and leave the Artemis's detection range. The sooner we get this vessel out, the easier it would be for us to have a chance in penetrating the Artemis's defenses."

The crew got the _Gamow_ moving away from the Artemis and within ten minutes, the Artemis begins to lower the umbrella, just as Nicol predicted. Now it is time for phase two of the operation.

"Excellent. With the Artemis's shield down, we can strike. Crewman, open up the catapult and launch the Blitz immediately."

Down in the hangar, Nicol strapped himself to his seat, opening up the Blitz's Mirage Colloid feature.

"Mirage Colloid voltage checked and ready to go. All systems are green." Taking a deep breath, the young pilot steels himself for his big mission.

" _We're putting this to use without any preliminary tests whatsoever. Let's hope this will pay out in the end._ "

The clamps of the recharging station lift up, allowing the young man to move his machine to the catapult launcher. Looking up at the clearance signal, the board went from red to green allowing him to launch from the vessel.

"Nicol Amalfi, Blitz, launching!" The stealth unit took off, slowly heading his way to the Artemis. He immediately activated the Mirage Colloid which cloaked the entire mobile suit immediately.

"Mirage Colloid formation satisfactory. Current disposition loss rate at 37%. Usage time, 80 minutes. Time to get to work."

* * *

Down in the Artemis's port room, Garcia is looking intently at the _Archangel_ , figuring out a way to keep the warship in the base's confines while eliminating all of the crew members of said warship. Interrupting his musings due to the beeping of the computer, he looks down, pressing a button revealing a Eurasian staff member responsible for managing the umbrella.

"What is it?" asked Garcia.

"ZAFT's Laurasia-class ship is leaving the area. Coordinates: Yellow 18, Mark 20, Charlie. Distance 700 but is increasing as we speak. Permission to disengage the umbrella sir." To support his report, he shows Garcia a visual image of the Laurasia-class ship leaving the Artemis.

"Permission granted. I'll leave the rest to Rize but continue to maintain surveillance around the area."

"Yes sir!" Closing the line, he hears the door part making him look at Stefan walking in. "Well, Stefan?"

"Examination of the ship is coming along smoothly but we have…an issue with the mobile suits in the _Archangel_."

Garcia frowned in irritation. "What do you mean you have problems with the machines? What's the matter with them?"

"The Atlantic Federation's G-Unit has a lock on the OS that's impossible to analyze and is giving our troops a hard time trying to crack it open. They're still working on releasing said lock as we speak."

"What about the other one?" asked Garcia.

"The other unit isn't an Atlantic Federation mobile suit but a ZAFT CGUE unit. A custom one it looks like."

The Eurasian general raised an eyebrow at this sort of news. The _Archangel_ is harboring a ZAFT unit onboard the ship? The man gained a devious tint in his eyes. Not only is there a prototype mobile suit unit in the vessel but also a ZAFT unit! Things are definitely looking up for the better and he intends to take full advantage of this golden opportunity.

"Really? That's very interesting. Are they working on cracking that ZAFT unit open?" Unfortunately, much to his ire, Stefan shakes his head at his superior.

"Sorry to be a bringer of bad news sir but the usual monoeye optic installed in the unit is missing. It's nothing more than a metallic husk."

"Do we at least know where the CGUE's pilot is?" Again, the man shook his head making him tiredly sigh at this.

"Tch. If you need something done, do it yourself." The scheming Eurasian general turns around to look at the port room staff. "Crew, keep working on what you're doing. Roman, I'm leaving you in charge here."

"Yes sir!"

The two left the port room heading straight to the _Archangel_ to deal with the situation Stefan presented to him. While the no-good general and his executive officer left the port room, Jack and BT are heading over to the umbrella control station. The Militia pilot took out a couple Artemis personnel whilst being cloaked. Once eliminated, he stuffed their bodies within spacious closets to prevent anybody from finding their vanished comrades.

Finally reaching his destination, he has BT scan the entire room before breaching in.

"BT, get a quick scan around the area. I want to know how many are inside before I storm in." Producing a beam, BT scanned the control room twice before relaying the information to Cooper.

" **My scans indicate fourteen occupants inside the control room.** "

"Perfect. Time to give these lazy bums a little wake-up call."

Reloading a fresh new magazine into his Hemlok BF-R, he stowed it away before grabbing a flashbang. Grabbing his data knife, he pried the lid of the keypad open, inserting the hacking blade, no pun intended, into the insertion slot. The process complete, he placed the lid down before the door opened. Once opened, he threw the flashbang in, stunning everybody in the room.

Cooper stormed in, eliminating everybody with his Hemlok BF-R before using his Autopistol to finish off the stragglers. With everybody now eliminated, he immediately shuts the door before heading straight to the computer. Luckily, he did not have to do a lot of hacking since they just turned off the umbrella.

" _Time to make sure the umbrella stays off and for us to leave to our intended destination._ "

Navigating around the system, he begins to type a couple codes before the monitor shows him an option to say "yes" or "no" to permanent shutdown. Clicking "yes", the monitor begins to process the decision before showing him a message that basically says the umbrella is permanently shut down.

"Alright BT. Time to head back to the _Archangel_. Our job here is done."

" **Very well, Pilot Cooper. Marking the nearest exit to your HUD.** "

Following the shortcut BT provided him, Cooper managed to head back to the _Archangel_ while taking down a few stranglers along the way. Just as Jack and BT are heading back to the vessel, Garcia and Stefan entered in the ship's cafeteria, demanding to know who are the pilots of the two mobile suits.

"Sorry to interrupt you ladies and gentlemen but I need to know who are the pilots and mechanics of the mobile suits on board the ship."

Kira was about to get up until Murdoch firmly placed both of his hands on the kid's shoulders. He looked at him only for the chief mechanic to shake his head at him. Arnold got up from his seat to confront the two officers.

"And why the hell are you asking us?" asked Arnold in a stern voice.

Stefan grabbed him by the collar. "Why you!"

"Is it because our captain and the officers on this ship didn't tell you? Or is it because you're too much of a chicken to ask them?"

"You're talking to a high-ranking officer here so I suggest you retract what you say!" Before things can get heated, Garcia steps in to diffuse the situation.

"Let him go." The executive officer did as he was told and released him. "Among the Atlantic Federation, you people are elite personnel selected for a top-secret military project so the pilots must be among your group. Am I wrong on that?"

"What are you planning to do with the Strike and the CGUE?" asked Arnold.

"Oh nothing my dear boy! It's just that we're fortunate enough to be granted an opportunity to observe it before making an official announcement on it. So once again, who are the pilots of the CGUE and the Strike?"

Murdoch cleared his throat before answering him. "It's Lieutenant La Flaga and Petty Officer Neumann sir."

Garcia did not seem to be convinced by the clear lie. "Nice try but we monitored the battle fought earlier. Even I know that he's the only person capable of handling the Moebius Zero and its gun barrels. And clearly Petty Officer Neumann here is the _Archangel_ 's pilot so that can't be it."

Gaining a devious glint, he immediately went over to Miriallia, grabbing her tightly by the arm.

"You bastard!" yelled an angry Tolle making all the Eurasians aim their weapons at him.

"It's highly unlikely that a woman would pilot that thing but considering the fact the _Archangel_ 's captain is a woman, I wouldn't be surprised if the pilot is also a woman."

Knowing that he cannot stand idly by, Kira immediately got up from his seat. "Stop it right there! I'm the pilot of the Strike."

"Kid!" Murdoch tried to push him down on the chair but the teen swatted his hands away, looking right back at the Eurasian general with a hard look on his face.

"Hey kid, I appreciate you wanting to protect the girl but that machine is not something a young guy like you should handle, am I right? So get fucking real!" Garcia was about to give him a punch but Kira easily dodged the attack, grabbing him by the arm and threw him down on the floor. This immediately started a fist fight which led Sai getting his glasses knocked off, falling into Flay's arms.

"Would you stop it already! What Kira saying is true! He is the pilot of the Strike!" Stefan looked at her as if she was kidding.

"Bullshit, you're lying!"

"No I'm not! Kira is the pilot of that machine! He's a Coordinator!"

This stopped everybody in their tracks. Murdoch palmed his face in exasperation at the girl's lack of common sense while Miriallia, Tolle, Kuzzey and Sai looked at her with shock for throwing Kira under the bus. Stefan surprisingly looked right at Kira. Garcia got up from the floor, placing his officer's cap on his head.

"A Coordinator huh? Well that makes things interesting." He examined Kira for a minute before gaining the same scheming tint in his eyes which unnerved the poor lad.

"We've been aware that many of ZAFT's mobile suit pilots are teens. I wonder what a Coordinator traitor like you, would willingly betray his kind and side with the Earth Forces. Eh, whatever. Your reasons are you own but it still makes you all the more valuable to me."

The general's words struck a chord in the young boy making him upset. Garcia noticed his distressed reaction and grinned in triumph. Turning to Flay, he then asked her of the other pilot.

"What about the other pilot of the CGUE unit? Where is he?" Before she can say anything, Cooper's voice immediately answered Garcia.

"You called General Dumbass for Brains Garcia?" The Eurasian general was not pleased to hear the man from the other line call him that.

"What'd you call me punk!?" Cooper laughed at him before answering him again.

"I called you a dumbass because let's face it, you're one. Seriously you suck so badly as a general, even a janitor can be better than you. Anyways, you asked the girl about the CGUE's pilot so here I am calling you out. Yeah I ain't afraid of ya! Oh, and if you want to know where I am, I'm in the hangar so don't bother having your lazy ass of a personnel you call soldiers looking for me. I shot them to all to hell."

Cooper, from the other side, then turned to his attention to Flay.

"And for the girl who sold out Kira, just to let you know, you and I are going to talk when this mess is all over. We're going to have a long conversation about common sense."

Everybody shivered in fear from the icy, cold tone coming from Cooper. Even worse, they can feel the room temperature fall down quite drastically. Shaking the fear from him, Garcia ordered his men to grab Kira and lead him down to the hangar.

"Grab the kid and let's go. We don't have time to waste. Sooner we get this over with the better."

When they left the room in a hurry, Tolle was the only one who said the one thing that is on everybody's mind.

"Man…remind me not to get on Cooper's bad side."

Down in the hangar, Garcia, Stefan and two armed soldiers escorting Kira walked in to see a Cooper leaning over on BT's leg unit, twirling his Autopistol around his index finger, whistling a tune. Looking up to see two armed soldiers, Cooper immediately aimed his Autopistol and shot them down, placing two well-aimed shots in between their eyes, killing them instantly.

The act shocked Kira, Stefan, and Garcia; the latter two berating themselves inwardly since they did not bring their service pistols with them.

"Well, well, well, look who we have here. The one and only General Garcia of the Eurasian Earth Forces graced me with his presence. An honor if I have to say so myself."

"And who are you supposed to be?" asked Garcia, not in the mood for games.

"Me? Oh I'm Jack Cooper, pilot of the CGUE unit. That's all you need to know for the time being because I'm not going to give you worth shit."

"Let's head straight to the point. You know why we're here so open up your mobile suits and extract the data from them."

Cooper wagged his finger at the general, irritating the man further. "Say it nicely and make sure you say please because if you don't then forget about it."

"Why you-!" Garcia was about to attack him only for Cooper to fire a warning shot at the general.

"One more move and you're gonna be like your buddies over there. Now rephrase your orders, now!" Gritting his teeth in anger, Garcia immediately changed his tone.

"Will you please get in your mobile suits and extract the data from your respective machines?" Cooper grinned in triumph right behind his helmet.

"There we go. Saying please wasn't so hard was it? Alrighty then. Kira! I want you to unlock the Strike's cockpit and begin extracting the Strike's data okay?"

Kira seemed to be confused, and rather shocked at how Cooper was willing to do something so daringly dangerous as to give them data just so they can make their own mobile suits. He was about to protest until Garcia pushed him to the Strike.

"Get on with it kid and do what he says."

Kira reluctantly went inside just as Cooper went in BT. Just as the young lad was about to begin the extraction process, Cooper and BT got out of the recharging station and stood right in front of the two officers who widened their eyes in shock and horror.

"W-what's the meaning of this?! I told you nicely to extract the mobile suit's data and you reward me with this?! Unacceptable!" demanded a rather angry Garcia.

"Yeah…about that. Do you really think Kira or I would willingly give you the data of either mobile suit? Boy you sure are easy to fool. It's no wonder why you're so incompetent and so undeserving of your station. You definitely suck as a general big time."

"You bastard!" Just then, the base begins to shake making him and Stefan wonder what is going on with the base. Grabbing his communicator, he begins to make contact with the staff members in the umbrella control room.

"Control room, this is Garcia! What are those tremors?!" He did not receive an answer so he asked again a second time. "Dammit control room! Answer me! What the hell are those tremors?!"

The line went dead again making him throw the useless device on the ground in frustration.

"Dammit! We're being under attacked! Argh, how is this even possible?!"

"But sir! What about the mobile suits?!" asked Stefan.

"Forget about them! We have more important matters to attend to!" The two officers scurried away to manage the situation. Cooper connected his radio comms to the Strike.

"Hey there kid."

"Jack! Thank goodness you're okay but seriously! You were about to have us hand them the data of our machines! What the hell's wrong with you?!"

Cooper is not perturbed from his outburst. "Kid, relax. I was just acting to get Garcia and his XO to lower their guards. Besides, there's no way I'm gonna let some schemer of a general make copies of BT or the Strike for that matter."

"Oh. Well I guess I should apologize for my outburst."

"It's fine. Anyways, get the Strike up and running. We have other things to worry about."

Grabbing the machine gun and the broadsword from the compartments, Jack immediately got out of the _Archangel_ with Kira following behind him who equipped his G-Unit with the Sword Striker Pack.

When the two mobile suits came out of the vessel, the Artemis's port busted open, with the Blitz dashing through the flames and smoke. Immediately a couple Moebius mobile armors begin to hammer the Blitz with suppressive fire only for the pilot to swirl around the blast and take them out with relative ease.

"Looks like the Blitz's pilot picked up where I left off and finished the job. Remind me to buy him a drink when we meet again."

" **Cooper, now is not the time to be thinking about such trivial matters. We must focus on escaping the base while the Artemis focuses their fire on the G-Unit.** "

Kira's face immediately went up on Jack's screen making him look up. "What is it, Kira? You got us a game plan or what?"

"Let me take on the Blitz while you provide some cover for our retreat. Sounds good to you?"

Cooper shrugged his shoulders, letting the kid have at it. "Fine by me son. Just make sure you're not captured again like last time."

"That was only one time Jack!" The man chuckles at him making the teen pout at him.

"Uh huh. Anyways, keep the Blitz busy while I get the _Archangel_ free from its restraints. I'll try to be quick about it."

Kira immediately engaged the Blitz while Jack went down to the lower levels, cutting the restraints with the CGUE's broadsword. Outside the base, the Buster and the Duel immediately flew out of the _Gamow_ , heading straight to the Eurasian base.

"You think we'll be able to take out the legged ship and those two mobile suits in one hit?" asked Dearka.

"Who knows? Nicol might've beaten us to the punch already."

The two continued to move forward before they are met with a few squads of Moebius mobile units out in the front. The Buster fired a barrage of missiles, taking out a few mobile armor units while Yzak fired a few shots from his beam rifle, destroying the last few remnants before entering in the port, shooting down any resistance preventing them from hitting their intended targets.

Just as they entered in the port, Jack was finished cutting away the restraints, freeing the _Archangel_ at last. His cockpit beeped, spotting the Duel and Buster taking out the enemy with ease.

"Well looks like the three stooges decided to show up. But first…" Jack spotted Garcia and Stefan along with a few Artemis members secretly making their way to a shuttle before lifting off, heading to the nearest exit. The shuttle was about to make it out until Jack and BT stood in front of them, raising the rifle at the now terrified Eurasians.

"Going anywhere Garcia?" asked Jack as he connected his mobile suit's radio comms to the shuttle.

"Mercy please." Garcia pitifully pleaded to Cooper who chuckles mirthlessly at the incompetent moron.

"Mercy, you say?" Without any hesitation, Cooper riddled the shuttle with many bullets before exploding in a fiery ball of flames. "You denied those people you killed the same mercy so you get none in return. May those people whose lives you've destroyed rest in peace knowing they've been avenged."

Jack and BT hopped over on the _Archangel_ 's deck and began to give the vessel some supporting fire just as it was about to leave the base. Much to his ire, those Eurasian Moebius pilots seem to think that right now is a good time sink the ship and the mobile suit at once. Luckily, they failed to do so since the duo took them out before they can even fire a single shot from their linear cannons.

The Buster and Duel continuously pour some more destructive fire right around the large space port, hitting weak points around the area. The base started to crumble and tear itself apart, incapable of sustaining anymore damage. Parts of the base begin to explode as the two elite pilots continue to hammer their weapons around the place.

"Yzak! Where the hell is the legged ship and the two mobile suits?!"

"I was about to ask you the same thing. Let's split up! I'll find Nicol you find the EA's ship." The two split up, trying to find their comrade and their targets around the smoke and explosions erupting around the base.

Meanwhile, the Militia pilot connected his radio comms to Kira's. "Kira! Get over here on the deck! We're about to leave any second now!"

"Right."

Kira landed the Strike next to Jack and BT as the _Archangel_ turned around, heading straight to the opposite exit of the space port. Within a minute, the white vessel left the doomed Artemis. Just as the _Archangel_ left, the three pilots also made it out of the base only to watch their target already out of their reach.

Nicol gritted his teeth in frustration, hitting the side panel of the Blitz's cockpit.

"Dammit! I let them escape."

"Don't worry about Nick! At least you were able to take down the base's umbrella reflectors thanks to your ingenious plan. Pat yourself on the back." Dearka reassured his green-haired teammate.

"Besides, it's not the last we'll see them so don't beat yourself too much. Let's head back to the _Gamow_. We're done here."

The three pilots left the now destroyed Artemis, returning back to the _Gamow_ as they continue their pursuit of the _Archangel_ and her crew.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Alrighty that is a wrap ladies and gentlemen! We are officially out of the Artemis and continuing our journey, well their journey, through space. There are a couple things I wanted to point out both from the story and on the review section s** **o without further ado, let us begin!**

 **1.) You may have noticed that I actually placed a breaking-the-fourth-wall moment in there.**

 **Was I high when I did that? No. I do not smoke weed so how dare you accuse me of such things.  
Did I make a fluke? No.  
Did I perhaps lose a few brain cells from typing major papers for my college classes? No.**

 **Ladies and gentlemen, I placed such a moment in there because I wanted to have some comedy within the story so why not place one here? There will be a few moments here and there where the characters end up breaking fourth walls but not too frequently. I do not want to lose the value of the story in doing so but from time to time yes I will be doing something like this.**

 **Much to Jack's truth, there are some stories and shows having characters break the fourth wall so why not place here in this story?**

 **2.) The mobile armors within the Artemis are TS-MA2 Moebius mobile armor units. What are they? They are basically the pink, purple mobile armors used in the series that honestly look like mini metallic alien beings or mini alien space ships. If it does not ring any bells to you, these mobile armor units can carry nukes. Google them and you will see those funky-looking pink mobile armor units.**

 **3.) I created a couple names for my OC Eurasian characters here in this chapter, except for Rize who is a really minor character in the SEED series to the point where he is almost forgotten in the series. Rize is basically the guy in charge of the Artemis's umbrella, making sure the shield is intact and operational.**

 **4.) Am I gonna buff mobile armors and ships in the story? To a certain extent but not to the point where they are overpowered. Probably give them an edge in speed and a tiny sliver of firepower in their autoguns but that is about it.**

 **5.) There was a question concerning whether or not I am going to add Droz and Davis to the story. For those of you who did not play Titanfall 2, those two are run a mercenary group known as "The Last Resort". And, correct me if I am wrong fellow viewers, but Davis and Droz are considered by many fans to be the "Frat Boys" of the Frontier. Maybe it is because of their antics in Frontier Defense that earned them such a peculiar nickname but as I said, correct me if I am wrong.**

 **Now then, am I gonna add them? Hmm...maybe. It has crossed my mind a few times and my mind conjured some scenes where those two would piss of Natarle and drive her insane to the point where she might cry. I do not know if I am adding since I am still in the process of picking out which Titanfall characters I can bring in from the Frontier Universe. If you want Davis and Droz in the story, just say yes in the review section.**

 **Anyways, that is all for now. Enjoy this chapter as I continue on with the next one. Until then, stay classy.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

 **A/N:**

 **Hello my fellow readers and welcome back to another chapter of Mobile Suit Titan SEED. To my fellow readers who live in the United States, I know it is a belated Happy Thanksgiving but I do hope you had a nice one because I sure did. If you guys are curious about my Thanksgiving meal, I had the usual turkey and stuffing but I also had some grilled beef and chicken along with some seafood. Man it was a good Thanksgiving alright. Tell me in the review section what you guys had for Thanksgiving whether it be the usual meal or something rather special.**

 **I also do apologize for the late updates. If you think I am dead, fear not because I am not. I am just busy with a couple things in life. I only have one more week in the semester starting tomorrow before finals and you know how chaotic it is. I always call the last week of the semester before finals week papers and presentation galore fest. Then again, I am good at managing my time and getting things done ahead of time so it gave me some leeway to finish up this chapter for you wonderful readers to enjoy and love.**

 **To my readers who are college students, you know the feeling when the final week of the semester goes before final exams begin.**

 **Do note that I may not be able to post another chapter because I am studying for my finals and busy with school projects. However, come Christmas break, I should be able to at least post one or two chapters. Three if I am lucky.**

 **Regardless, let us get back to the story shall we? Now that the crew is out of the dreadful Artemis, they continuing their journey to reach lunar headquarters. They do, however, have some issues to address. We are also going to have a little tour to the PLANTs and see what the situation is like back home.**

 **Well...their home, not ours since we live in the twenty-first century and the human population is still living on Earth. Not to mention, we do not have Coordinators in our time frame.**

 **Enough talk, we have a story to get rolling.**

 **Legend:**

 **Hello – BT-7274 Speaking or Titan OS speaking.**

 _ **Hello**_ **– Thoughts, computer logs, or flashback.**

 **Hello** **– Radio communications, news media outlet.**

 **Disclaimer:**

 **Jack Cooper and BT-7274 and Titanfall 2 belongs to Respawn Entertainment while Gundam SEED mobile suits and characters belong to Sunrise and directed by Mitsudo Fukuda. I own my OC characters.**

* * *

 _Jack Davidson Cooper's Log Book 1.3_

 _After leaving the nightmare that was the Artemis, we're now back in space, making our way to the lunar headquarters. I have to be frank, after what happened in Artemis, I'm starting to wonder if stopping by another allied base is such a good idea._

 _When the three, namely Natarle, Mu and Murrue, returned to the ship, I showed them some…intriguing stuff about Garcia. The wonderful Captain Ramius asked me how I was able to obtain it with the Archangel locked down. They looked at me in disbelief to hear me go solo around the base. The three thought I was joking but after showing them some footage of my little tour around the base, they reduced to silence._

 _Well not all since Natarle ranted on the laziness of the Eurasian personnel which I wholeheartedly agreed with her. Wow, she and I finally agreed on something!_

 _Anyways, when I showed them the files on the scheming general, they were quite shocked to see the bastard actually made some plans to betray the Alliance when he had the opportunity. Even they were disgusted to hear him and a few other generals within the Eurasian side of the EA actually consent to kidnapping Coordinators and forcefully induct them to the service._

 _Much to my surprise, Natarle complimented me for taking out the general. I don't know why she said it out of the blue but I have feeling she only meant me taking out a potential traitor amongst the ranks._

 _Whatever the case may be, we have other problems within the Archangel. We barely got any supplies from the Eurasian base and things are starting to get bad. Rations begin to frustrate everybody on the ship, dwindling water supply had Murrue place a limitation on water usage, and the overall morale isn't getting any better._

 _Luckily, I was able to get a few showers here and there before I start smelling like I came out from a sewer system. Not something everybody wants to experience which I don't blame them._

 _To be honest, I don't know how we'll be able to complete this journey with the way things are going but I'm sure Murrue, Mu and Natarle can come up with a solution._

 _Jack Cooper, Pilot of BT-7274, 41_ _st_ _Militia Rifle Battalion._

* * *

After leaving the nightmare that was the Artemis behind, the majestic _Archangel_ continues to move forward, making their journey to the lunar headquarters. Up in the bridge, Murrue turned to Jackie, asking if there are any ZAFT ships pursuing them.

"Crewman Tonomura, are there any ZAFT ships or patrols lurking within our area?"

The man looks at the screen for a good five minutes only to see no signatures appear on his screen. He turns around to report back to the captain. "Negative on that ma'am. No sign of enemy ships within 5000 kilometers from our position. It appears ZAFT completely lost us during the chaos."

The brunette woman breathes a sigh of relief. "That's good news. At the present rate we're going, I don't think we'll be capable enough to handle another ZAFT assault."

"It shouldn't be a surprise since the Artemis gained some attention from the enemy. Thanks to them rampaging in the base like a pair of angry bulls, we were able to escape unnoticed." Mu stretches himself to loosen the stiffness in his body. "Remind me to buy Cooper a couple drinks for going around the base solo and taking down the umbrella for us."

"Still, we have to count ourselves as lucky since they didn't pursue us immediately. Having some breathing room is just a luxury we are fortunate to have but we still have to be vigilant. Petty Officer Neumann, please bring up the digital map, displaying the possible routes we can take to head to lunar headquarters."

Arnold typed a couple codes in the computer screen, bringing up a digital map of the _Archangel_ , the Earth and lunar headquarters. The map drew a couple color coded lines, indicating possible routes along with the number of days it will take for them to reach their destination. Murrue's eyes held a grim shine when she looked at the shortest, and quite frankly, most dangerous route for them to undertake.

She is not the only one who felt the same dreadful sentiment. The crew held the same apprehension about the insane idea of going through the infamous Debris Belt.

"The Debris Belt is the shortest route we can take? Surely there has to be a safer and shorter route than this." said Natarle.

"Petty Officer Neumann, rerun the route diagnostics again. There must be a glitch within the system. See if there's a safer route we can take besides the Debris Belt." commanded Murrue.

Doing another rerun, the screen showed the same exact results from the first diagnostic run, much to the dismay of everybody in the bridge. Mu chuckled mirthlessly at the results. "Welp everybody, seems the diagnostic isn't lying to us. The best route to head straight to HQ is through the Debris Belt."

"Can't we go through it?" asked Murrue making the petty officer shake his head at her.

"Sorry ma'am, but going through that neck in space is a death sentence in and of itself. If we attempted to go through it at normal speed, one hit is all it'll take for us to end up as part of the wreckage. Slow and steady is the name of the game here, ma'am."

True to his words, going through the Debris Belt is almost like an execution sentence. That particular part in space is filled with wreckage and junk from humanity's attempts in space exploration and colonization. Added more to the already grown pile of trash are warships, mobile suits and armors making the place deadlier and more dangerous than it needs to be.

While maneuvering around the cosmic junk will be an issue of itself, there is another problem they have to face: space pirates. It is no surprise to encounter such vermin scavenging around these parts of space to collect whatever items they can find before selling it in the black market. Debris belt items fetch a rather hefty price in the underground world so what better way to make some nice cash than to scavenge around the Debris Belt?

Of course, the _Archangel_ and her crew will make quick work of such vermin but they do not need unnecessary attention aimed at them. Them fighting the pirates might alert some stray ZAFT patrol unit to their vicinity. Next thing you know, more ZAFT teams converge on the Earth Alliance ship, throwing everything they got to sink it.

Suddenly, Mu had a light bulb shine in his head. What many would consider a bad omen immediately turns into a golden opportunity. "I don't see why we shouldn't go through the debris belt. If anything, we should take advantage of this opportunity."

"Why's Lieutenant La Flaga?" asked a confused Murrue.

"Come on, Captain Ramius, don't play the clueless soldier. Try to connect the dots."

She begins to rummage through her head, figuring out what he is trying to convey to her and the crew. The _Archangel_ needs some repairs and they hoped to get said repairs at Artemis but could not due to the hostage crisis. The Debris Belt is nothing more than a junkyard of free-floating wreckage from early space exploration to the current war.

Hold the phone. Free floating junk. Murrue looked up at him with wide eyes when she connected the two together. "The Debris Belt is a junkyard of cosmic wreckage. The ship needs some maintenance repairs. You're not saying…"

The Hawk of Endymion forms a grin on his face. "Hit the nail right on the head captain."

"What? What's the matter, Captain Ramius?" Natarle looked at her superior, confused at her reaction.

"Lieutenant La Flaga wants us to go straight to the Debris Belt to scavenge for supplies and other items we can utilize to somewhat solve our current inventory issues."

That does not sound way too pleasing at all. Not one bit. Going through the dreaded place is one thing but to stop and scavenge for supplies with the possibility of gaining some unwanted attention?

Yeah, screw that.

"But ma'am, the Debris Belt is dangerous! There are some cosmic junk about the size of this ship within said belt! We cannot stall there to look for supplies when there might be ZAFT patrols scouring around the area. We don't have much time left!"

The blonde pilot crosses his arms on his chest, looking at her with a raised eyebrow. "In case you forget, Natarle, the ship is in need of maintenance and repairs. I don't see the logic in turning away such an opportunity now that we reached this part of space."

"In case you forget, the _Archangel_ is made to withstand flak from enemy fire, Lieutenant La Flaga. The engineers in Morgenroete made sure the ship is capable to take some harsher fire. To become a shield for the lesser protected vessels in the Earth Alliance. I'm sure it can handle a bit more before we need to start worrying about repairs."

Good Lord almighty, he wants to bang his head near to the nearest wall until he passes out from excessive head trauma. Does this woman even know what she is saying at the moment?! Yes, the ship is made to withstand punishment from enemy fire but nothing is invincible! The ship can only take so much damage before the whole entire thing is sunk for good.

"So you say but Murdoch and the mechanics give me a different story. Even showed me a couple damaged parts that is in dire need of repairs and maintenance." Feeling an incoming headache about to encroach her head, Murrue steps in between the two officers before another argument can break out.

"Geez, enough already! We don't have time to argue amongst ourselves! Lieutenant La Flaga is indeed correct about our current supply issues and the ship needing repairs. I too also agree with you, Natarle, that it is a dangerous endeavor to venture in the massive junkyard with chunks of wreckage the size of the _Archangel_ which can further damage her. However, with the current situation, the Debris Belt might provide us with some items we can use to replenish our inventory before we land on the moon."

She looks straight at the Hawk of Endymion, giving him the approval to scavenge some supplies. "Request to scavenge supplies within the Debris Belt granted but you mustn't stay in the area too long since there might be a possibility of ZAFT teams lurking around these parts of space. Make sure you notify Kira and Jack about it okay?"

While the crew members continue to discuss their next plan of action, Cooper sits down with Flay, Sai, and Tolle. He is having his conversation with the resident cherry-haired sell out about her actions back in the Artemis.

"Flay, I'm rather disappointed in you at what you did back there. Haven't you, for one damn moment, thought about the consequences of your actions when you threw Kira under the bus? Especially revealing the truth of his genetic makeup to the scheming bastard named Gerard Garcia and his no-good compadres in the Artemis?"

Flay pouted at him which only made him frown at her all the more. "And why should I lie to them? It's the truth that Kira is a Coordinator and the pilot of the Strike. The general wanted to know who the pilot is and so I gave it to him."

He felt the need to shoot himself in the head right on the spot at her sorry excuse. Is she even hearing herself right now?! Did the airhead not know it only made things worse!? The Militia pilot buried his face in his hands while Tolle shook his head at her. Sai just crossed his arms at his fiancé.

"And you think blurting it out to the man stopped things from escalating any further? Did it improve the situation for the boy?" asked an incredulous Cooper.

"Well…somewhat…"

"Somewhat? How about flat out no it didn't do shit? If anything, it scarred the boy further when he told me Garcia's words."

Before Flay can even defend herself, Jack continues on with his rant. "Newsflash lady, in case you didn't know, Kira nearly got himself riddled with lead the moment Mu accidentally revealed him to be a Coordinator. While he doesn't show it, I'm betting you he's traumatized by it. You added more to his distress when you revealed him as a Coordinator to Garcia and his scheming Eurasian staff members!"

"But lying to a military officer wouldn't get us off the hook either! How's that even fair that I'm getting the blame for this?" retorted Flay.

Cooper's brown eyes started to ignite in anger, banging his fists on the table causing the other teens to jump in fright. "Goddammit, then why don't you let the other crew members do the talking?! I'm sure they could've handled it before you sold him out to the rest of the Earth Forces on board the Artemis! Fuck, sometimes I wonder if the boy did something so horrible to you in your life and your method of payback is to throw him to the wolves! Argh, this is making my head hurt."

Tolle then added his two cents in the conversation. "It's a fact that he went through all kinds of trouble because of what you said to Garcia. You already know that soldiers in the Earth Alliance hate Coordinators with a passion. Kira piloting the Strike poses a delicate problem for them. As Cooper mentioned, they already made their distaste quite clear by aiming their rifles at him when they met us."

"Even I agree with them Flay." The cherry-haired girl shot him a betrayed look but he was unperturbed by it. "Listen, I know that as your fiancé, I have to take your side but what you did is wrong. It's best if you apologize to him and do so in a sincere manner. Otherwise, it would pose a problem when you two meet face-to-face. The ship has enough problems as it is and the last thing Captain Ramius needs to deal with are _Archangel_ personnel arguing with non-enlisted soldiers."

Flay looked at Sai before relenting to his suggestion. "Fine. I'll apologize to him."

Speaking of the boy, Kira entered in the cafeteria, breathing a tired sigh. Sai nudged her, prompting her to stand up and approach him. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow, wondering what she wanted to tell him.

"Um Flay? What's the matter? Is everything alright?"

"Kira, I just wanted to apologize for what I did back in the Artemis. I said those things without really thinking."

He could only look at her in bewilderment, wondering where she is going with this. "Sorry but I don't think I know where you're going with this. You have to be a bit more specific because I'm lost here."

"Back at the Artemis, I revealed you as a Coordinator to General Garcia and the others. That's what I'm apologizing for. I didn't mean to sell you out in such a manner."

Dawn of recognition lighting up his features when she mentioned that. He did not blame her for it since she is only trying stop the fight from escalating any further. Although it may not have been the appropriate way to end the tension, it still stopped it nonetheless.

The young man smiled at her. "Hey, there's no need for you to apologize, Flay. I'm not upset by it. Besides, it's the truth that I am one so I don't see any reason for you to say sorry."

"Regardless, you were placed through enough trouble from the start and I don't want you going through the same thing again. Gotta look after my fellow pilot ya know?"

Kira smiled gratefully to Cooper for his consideration of his wellbeing. Even though the two of them met for a short while, they bonded together like friends who knew each other for a lifetime. He might even go as far as to say he and Cooper share a sibling-type relationship with him being the older brother figure.

"Thank you Cooper. It means a lot to me."

"Don't sweat it son. Say, you done with the Strike's maintenance?"

"Yeah. Took me a bit of time since there were a couple issues within the OS that I had to address. However, due to time constraints and the chaotic situations we're thrown into, I wasn't able to rewrite them. Other than that, it was okay for the most part."

"Good to hear. Speaking of OS issues, I better head back to BT. He and I have a couple things to take care of. Need a call, I'll be at the hangar. Later."

Jack got up from his seat, heading straight to the hangar leaving the kids to have their own conversation as they ate their lunch together.

* * *

The _Vesalius_ finally reached ZAFT territory, aka the PLANTs, after a couple days of traveling. Despite its damaged state, the Nazca-class vessel was able to make the journey without bumping into any Earth Alliance patrols.

Approaching the Aprilius One port, a video feed from the port control room emerged on the _Vesalius_ 's viewing window.

"Incoming Nazca-class vessel. State the name of the ship and your business for entering in Aprilius One."

Ades saluted right in front of the video feed. "Aprilius One port control, this is Captain Ades and Commander Rau Le Creuset of the _Vesalius_. We are here on a summons request by the Supreme Council."

The port control member begins to type on the console before turning his attention to the two officers aboard the ship. " _Vesalius_ ID has been confirmed. Turn your ship around 180 degrees before docking in."

Closing the line, the crew followed the port's instructions. While the ZAFT vessel slowly enters the space port, Captain Ades looks straight at his superior officer. "Sir, are you bringing Lieutenant Zala to the inquiry?"

The masked commander nods his head to the ship captain. "Yes. He is the only eyewitness I have who saw the whole incident take place in Heliopolis. He will give his testimony before the council members."

Ades seems to be skeptical about his superior bringing him before the council and give a report. The ship captain did not doubt the young man's capability as a soldier since he has a rather impressive track record in the ZAFT Military Academy. Graduated early than his fellow classmen, being part of the top ten graduates with him receiving the rank of number one. He has shown tremendous skill as a mobile suit pilot, earning perfect scores in simulation runs and demos as expected of a redcoat elite soldier and a son of a supreme council member. Athrun is considered to be the role model of what an elite soldier should be like according to the ZAFT Military Academy.

Everything seems to going oh so perfect with the lad until his sortie in Heliopolis. There, everything changed. He defied his order to remain in the ship when he sent out Miguel, Olor and Matthew to deal with the legged ship and the two mobile suits in the damaged colony. He did not even land a single hit against the Strike in their next encounter when the enemy is running to the Artemis.

Adding more insult to injury, his mobile suit, the Aegis, got damaged against a Moebius Zero. He, an elite pilot, allowed a freaking MOEBIUS ZERO to damage him! A man of his caliber should not have trouble taking out a simple mobile armor. It is an embarrassment to the redcoat uniform for crying out loud!

Till this day, he is still trying to figure out what has gotten in the young lad to make him act this way. Is the pressure of him living up to the highest expectation because he is Patrick Zala's son starting to catch up? Or is there perhaps something more to it than what meets the eye. He will keep his assumptions to himself once he figures out the reason why Athrun is behaving differently.

"Are you certain bringing Athrun along with you to the Supreme Council and have him report before them is such a good idea?"

The man readjusts his mask before answering his question. "While you may have your doubts regarding young Athrun in terms of combat skills in battle, he is a sound individual capable of analyzing things calmly and objectively. Rather, the issue lies with us making the council see the incident from our own perspective. It will not be an easy task and you know how stubborn some of our representatives are."

"Very well."

"Ades, make sure the _Vesalius_ is repaired and resupplied before we link up with the _Gamow_. We've been given a bit of a break by the council but it's not an extensive leave. Take advantage of this opportunity before we head back to the front lines."

"Yes sir."

The Nazca-class ship finally docked in Aprilius One's port. A team of mechanics start the repair process while the crew members got out of the vessel to visit their families or take a nice stroll around Aprilius One. Athrun and Rau left the _Vesalius_ , boarding a car with a ZAFT green coat soldier, disembarking from the passenger side, opening up the back passenger doors. Rau and Athrun went inside the vehicle before the soldier closes the door, heading back to his seat. The driver immediately drove off to the Supreme Council Hall.

Once in, the two were quiet throughout the entire ride. Athrun opted to look at the peaceful scenery from the car's windows while Rau read over the reports from his TACPAD, rehearsing in his mind about how he will convey his report to the Supreme Council. Thirty minutes later, the two arrived at their location. Disembarking their ride, they stopped before two armed guards. They pulled out their military IDs which is standard protocol whenever a military person or a local representative would enter in the Supreme Council Hall. Seeing no fraud in their IDs, they let the two enter in the building.

Weaving through the busy crowd of people, they reached the hallway where there are a couple elevator lifts. Rau pressed the down button before stepping back to wait on their ride. The two waited for a full minute before the doors parted revealing a couple employees leaving the lift, heading to wherever they are needed.

Entering in, Rau pressed on the button with the elevator shaft taking them down to the Supreme Council chambers. The masked man took a seat, while Athrun opted to stand up. During the ride, the two listened to the latest news raging in around the PLANTs.

"With the economic reports out checked from the list, we now move on to our next topic for the day. Prior to the one-year anniversary of the Junius Seven Tragedy, Supreme Council Chairman Siegel Clyne makes a statement to the public."

The two watched the video feed of Chairman Clyne standing at the podium with a couple local representatives from the different colonies and a few ZAFT military leaders right behind him. Standing to his left is a young woman, around her mid-teens with long pink hair and blue eyes. She is wearing an elaborate white and purple dress which suits her rather nicely. Despite the young lady being a teenager, she carries herself with grace and dignity.

"The unfortunate incident which befell upon us, that is the Junius Seven tragedy, left our people with deep sorrow that we will never forget…"

As they continue to listen to the Chairman's address to the people, Rau looks over at the pink-haired girl before turning his attention back to his subordinate. "By the way, Athrun. If you don't mind me answering my question, aren't you engaged with Chairman Clyne's daughter, Miss Lacus Clyne?"

The elite soldier was taken back by the sudden question. He wonders why his superior officer is so interested in personal affairs such as his arranged marriage with the chairman's daughter. Should he not be concerned about certain matters such as planning out military operations or what they will currently report to the council?

Regardless, he still answered the his superior's question. "Yes I am."

"I hear Miss Lacus is going with the memorial delegation to commemorate the first anniversary of the Junius Seven tragedy."

"That's right sir."

The man gives him a small smile. "That's wonderful. You two, the children of Committee Chairman Zala and Chairman Clyne tying the knot. Such a marriage is certain to bring a new and bright light to the next generation. An example for many to follow and revered by all. We're all counting on you two to lead us into that bright future."

Athrun felt warm and pride surge through his entire being from such a heartfelt compliment by his commanding officer. Although he receives many compliments from him when he is first assigned to his unit, he cannot help but feel proud about it. "Thank you for the compliments, Commander Le Creuset. We will never let you down."

"It's no problem Athrun. Besides, it's our responsibility to protect this generation at all costs to ensure the future ones will be able to live in a world of peace and free of persecution and prejudice."

The elevator shaft stopped in its journey, reaching the Supreme Council chambers. The two left, heading straight in, ready to face the music. Entering in, they saluted before the council members before taking a seat. Chairman Siegel Clyne clears his throat to commence the session.

"The Supreme Council shall commence a special inquiry into the collapse of Heliopolis, a territory part of the Orb Union. Commander Rau Le Creuset, you may begin whenever you are ready."

Standing up in attention, the man gives his report to the council members. During those thirty minutes, he went uninterrupted, though the ones visibly disturbed by the destruction of the colony were Yuri Amalfi, Ali Kasim, Eileen Canaver, and Siegel Clyne. Tad Elsman, Dearka's father, although calm on the outside, is irritated on the inside. He planted a palm on his face, clearly upset at how Commander Le Creuset and his team "handled" the situation.

But the destruction of Heliopolis is not the piece of information that grabbed their attention. Rather, the mention of a custom CGUE utilizing strange abilities against their top pilots only for the unit to come out on top without suffering a single scratch while their redcoat pilots end up as the losers with their mobile suits heavily trashed to a wreck.

Much to their surprise, the White Lightening himself said to them that when he fought the pilot in Heliopolis, he is brought to a standstill. Even more stunning, his CGUE's leg unit got blown up by the enemy's mobile suit as he retreats from the colony. For a pilot of his caliber not only get himself stuck in a stalemate against an unknown opponent but to have his suit damaged in such a manner speaks volumes at the talent of the enemy pilot.

It made them all the more curious. Scratch curious, interested is the right word. Some of them are starting to wonder if the pilot of this custom-made unit belongs to a Coordinator ace-pilot who possibly served in ZAFT but defected to the Earth Alliance for some unknown reason. Until then, they will have to see the footage before jumping to conclusions.

While a good majority of them are interested to see the footage, there are some who do not share the same sentiment. Those council members are Patrick, and Ezalia. More so the latter than the former. To be frank, it is no surprise as to why she would not be so interested in an enemy unit since she is not happy to hear an unknown pilot trash and possibly endanger her only baby boy's life. An angry mother is not something you do not want to face, especially if it is coming from Ezalia Joule. She is known to be…erm how should I say this…very animated when she is angry. Very few can last or even withstand her rampage.

Makes you wonder where Yzak gets his hotheaded and brash attitude, right?

"I believe you can understand from the course of events you just saw that our actions were not intended as an attack on Heliopolis itself but as a result of collateral damage which the Earth Forces are to be blamed. This concludes my report. Thank you for your attention."

Rau salutes to them before returning to his seat. The council members begin to discuss amongst themselves about the report they just heard just now.

Herman Gould banged his fist on the table, clearly mad at Orb aiding their sworn enemy, the Earth Alliance. "So Orb is indeed working with those blasted Earth Forces! To think they, a neutral nation who wanted to be out of the war, decided to violate their neutrality and help the enemy hellbent on wiping us out just because we Coordinators exist!"

Tad Elsman took a tired sigh, looking straight at his fellow council members with an even stare. "How troublesome. Aren't you jumping the gun too early on such a statement, Councilman Gould?"

"What are you getting at, Councilman Elsman?"

"Orb, a neutral nation, is more than capable of building and designing defense weapons for their own army. They're within their rights to do so since they need some protection if they're ever attacked by outside forces. I don't see a reason why they aren't allowed to create defensive weapons for themselves."

"But they can't build mobile suits to aid the Earth Forces against us. It'd be a neutrality violation on their part." Ezalia pointed out to the laidback council member.

This time, Ali Kasim steps up to the plate. "Councilwoman Joule, you seem to be forgetting a rather important part in Commander Le Creuset's report. Morgenroete created the so-called 'G-Units', not the entire nation of Orb and its citizens. Last I checked, they're a company so they can do whatever they want and please."

"True to your point Councilman Kasim, but Morgenroete's HQ is situated in their homeland so Orb is still at fault for aiding the enemy. They really should've seen this coming."

This did not deter the council member. "Score one, Councilwoman Joule, but let me ask you this. Did we ever sign a treaty with Morgenroete or with Orb for that matter? Last I checked, we did not do such a thing to neither party so I don't really see why we're blaming the entire nation of Orb for Morgenroete's actions. I fail to see the logic behind such a reasoning."

"Those excuses are nothing more than lies! Lies, Councilman Kasim! This only proves that whatever is said on Earth can't and shouldn't be trusted! I don't even know why we need to have this pointless argument in the first place. Orb is the party at fault. End of discussion!" yelled an indignant Jeremy Maxwell making Ezalia, Herman, Orson White, and Louise Leitner agree with him.

Tad can already feel the incoming headache creeping up in his skull. Sometimes, these meetings get too much nerve wracking and troublesome for his tastes. The man would rather deal with paperwork or his beloved wife, Anastasia Elsman, yelling at him. Hell, he would even deal with Dearka's pranks when he was a kid than deal with the shouting fest that is taking place right now.

"What a drag this is. So now we, the Supreme Council, are the trustworthy ones, Councilman Maxwell? Explain that to us because we're quite lost on your statement." challenged Tad making the radical council member narrow his eyes.

"What did you say?"

Patrick banged his fist on the table as he stood up from his seat, ready to disperse the petty argument. "Enough goddammit! The more we argue, the more time we're wasting! We have other important duties to attend and I am not in the mood to have another damn yelling match! Are we clear!?"

All of the council members stopped their arguments immediately though some of them did not appreciate how the man unprofessionally handled the situation. Shaking his head, the elder Zala turns to the masked commander.

"Now then, we can get back to business. Commander Le Creuset, what of the custom CGUE mobile suit? You mentioned these so-called 'strange abilities' and how they were able to defeat our top pilots but never gave us a detailed description. Also, are these prototypes worth the sacrifice made by our troops?"

Rau stood up again to face the council members. "To explain their marvelous abilities to you, Vice Chairman Zala, I have one of the pilots with me who not only piloted one of the stolen machines but also battled against the machine we failed to take. He too will also display footage of the custom CGUE unit in battle." He turns to look at Siegel. "With your permission, Chairman Clyne, I will have Lieutenant Athrun Zala report on this."

Siegel looks over to Patrick who gives his consent to have his son report in front of the council. "Very well, Commander Le Creuset. Lieutenant Athrun Zala, please step up before the Supreme Council to give your report of these machines we have been hearing about."

Getting up from his seat, the elite pilot gives the Supreme Council a salute before approaching the middle table where the projector is situated. Grabbing a flash drive from his pocket, he inserts the device in the slot. A few minutes later, the council members are looking at the Aegis.

"If you would, please direct your attention to the display at hand. The first machine I would like to present is the GAT-X303 Aegis. This is one of the five machines manufactured in the secret project known as the G-Project. Perhaps a major characteristic of this machine is the transformation system installed within the mobile suit's frrame. When activated, the Aegis shifts from its regular mobile suit mode to a mobile armor mode."

Athrun shows the Aegis' transformation phase to the council members which made them surprised at the advanced design for a prototype mobile suit.

"Neat as it is, I assume there's a functioning purpose to the mobile armor mode other than pure aesthetics, yes?" asked Orson to the young elite soldier.

"Yes sir. In its mobile armor mode, the Aegis has a powerful cannon called the Scylla, which is a 580mm multi-phase beam cannon. From what I read, the cannon has the ability to puncture through the width of a warship within one shot. The mobile suit is equipped with a beam rifle, a shield, and four beam sabers."

He then switches the footage from the Aegis to the Duel.

"Next on the list is the GAT-X102 Duel. This model is believed to be the first one to be manufactured and the basis for all of the other prototype mobile suits within the G-Project. It carries simple armaments such as a beam rifle, beam saber, and an anti-beam coated shield. The Duel, along with the rest of the G-Project prototypes are equipped with an advanced armor system known as Phase Shift Armor. When activated, the armor renders ballistics weapons such as machine gun bullets and missiles ineffective due to the electricity running through the armor system preventing the mobile suit from sustaining damages in combat."

From the Duel comes the heavy-hitting Buster.

"This one is the GAT-X103 Buster. It is a prototype artillery mobile suit, capable of providing long-range support from the rear. Suiting the mobile suit's combat role, the machine is equipped with a 350mm gun launcher and a 94mm high-energy rifle. Combining these two weapons in two different combinations, the Buster can either have a hyper impulse long-range sniper rifle or an anti-armor shotgun. If the unit wants to add more to the deadly barrage, it has two 120mm missile pods."

The council members watch a few clips of the Buster firing its weapons separately and the machine combining its two rifles together showcasing the devastating effects. Needless to say, the sheer amount of firepower packed into a single suit is rather scary though the council members are rather thankful that such a machine is now in their possession rather than in the hands of the blasted Earth Alliance.

Pressing a key on the digital screen, it switches over to the next prototype which is the Blitz. The clip shows the unit firing its darts right at the custom CGUE unit before launching its Gleipnir anchor.

"Council members, this is the GAT-X207 Blitz. This mobile suit is designed for stealth attacks. One of the features installed in the mobile suit is the Mirage Colloid System. When activated, gas particles are released over the armor's surface, making it invisible to the naked eye. What makes this feature so handy is its ability to block infra-red emissions as well as bending visible light and radio waves preventing the enemy from finding it in their radars. The mobile suit's armaments are the Trikeros Offensive Shield System and Gleipnir Piercer Lock. The Trikeros System consists of a shield along with a built-in 50mm beam rifle, Lancer Darts, and a beam saber."

Athrun presses another key, giving the council members a visual of the Strike. Several clips showcase the machine utilizing different armaments in Heliopolis and in space.

"This machine is called the GAT-X105 Strike. From the information we can gather on this particular mobile suit, the Strike is a prototype multi-purpose mobile suit. True to its classification, the unit is outfitted with different modules called Striker Packs which gives the mobile suit different armaments to suit a particular combat role. The Sword Striker Pack is used for close quarters, the Alie Pack for maneuverability and ranged attacks while the Launcher Striker Pack is used for long range combat."

He then switches over to the custom CGUE unit, the famed mobile suit that bested the White Lightning of ZAFT and his teammates. The machine is more or less the same as the regular CGUE albeit it is a bit on the bulky side of things due to the extra added armor around the legs, arms, thrusters, and chassis. What even caught their eyes are the SRS and MILITIA decals plastered on the mobile suit's frame. As far as they know, they neither have a militia nor a special recon squadron task force in their ranks.

"Last but not least is the custom CGUE. The unit displayed some unique abilities that even the top military scientists and engineers in ZAFT haven't been able to create. Two we were able to witness include a blue magnetic shield that captures incoming projectiles before throwing them back at his opponents and a machine gun capable of firing electric-powered bullets which can overpower and even damage Phase Shift Armor. I assume there are more peculiar abilities within the mobile suit that we haven't been able to witness but those are the only ones we captured on tape."

The council members watch the combat footage, taking in every single detail of the mobile suit's abilities. Like Athrun, they are amazed at what they just witnessed. Never had they seen a unit produce a single shield from a single servo, capable of capturing everything thrown at them before hurling it back to the owner.

They also watched the electric bullets in action against the Duel, Blitz and Buster. From what Athrun mentioned of the Phase Shift Armor, the armor system is powered by electricity, allowing the mobile suit to actually take some punishment from ballistic projectiles such as missiles and bullets. Now if these were regular APSV bullets, it would not be a problem but the Phase Shift Armor gave out, not capable of withstanding the static hailstorm.

True to young Zala's words, not even their top military scientists and engineers have done such a breakthrough in their weapons research and development. Perhaps the technology they were able to develop for ZAFT are N-Jammers, energy weapons for warships, and mobile suits but it stops right there. They are still trying to find a way to develop energy weapons for mobile suits yet this one here is displaying some that many would consider to be light years away from the current technology they have at the moment.

But the abilities are not the fascinating aspect of this unit. Rather, the mobility of the mobile suit. The speed and movements displayed in the footage is amazing. Superb even by Coordinator standards which is saying a lot considering Coordinator mobile suit pilots tend to be faster than Natural pilots who man their mobile armors. They view the CGUE as an armored extension or body of the pilot itself.

Athrun salutes to the council members before shutting down the displays. "Copies of the data on these mobile suits are already archived within ZAFT's database," The elite soldier pulls the USB drive from the display console. "Should you ever need to look at them, they are there at your convenience This is the conclusion of my report."

He returned to his seat, relieved to get his part done and over with. Sitting down, he watches the council members begin to discuss amongst themselves.

Jeremy Maxwell is already displeased about the machines he just heard from the soldier's report. "Great, we have a traitorous Coordinator, one of our people, aid the enemy who discriminates us! Such a thought makes me sick."

Eileen looks right at Jeremy with a frown on her face. "I don't believe the mobile suit is piloted by one of our soldiers, Councilman Maxwell."

"What do you mean by that, Councilwoman Canaver?" asked a confused Orson White.

"Have you seen the markings on the mobile suit? We neither have a militia or a special reconnaissance squadron within ZAFT. If we do, we would've known who is piloting the unit but as it stands, the pilot remains anonymous. Not to mention, those abilities weren't created by our brightest minds in ZAFT."

Connecting the dots, Jeremy looks back at her. "Are you saying this mysterious pilot belongs to a third party? Perhaps a mercenary?"

Eileen shrugs her shoulders at him. "A possibility but it's mere speculation."

"Regardless, why would somebody, or anybody with a brain for that matter, side with the Earth Forces? Perhaps the pilot is paid handsomely by them to eradicate us?"

Before Eileen can answer, Louise tries to get the council back to their main topic. "We can fathom about speculations of the pilot and the customized unit later. Let's focus on the new mobile suits the Earth Alliance built in Heliopolis."

"You mean those abominations that were created by the ever-so audacious, unrepentant and shameless Earth Forces?" Orson remarks heatedly.

"Councilman White, those prototype mobile suits we've seen in the footage are only at the trial stages. You can hardly consider them those a threat." Eileen pointed out to the radical council member.

"You only say that because they're prototypes but if they continue their advancements in mobile suit technology, then the next step is to mass produce them. Are you suggesting we sit down and let it happen? To let the war shift into their favor?" Ezalia argues back to the moderate council member.

Parnel shakes his head tiredly at the petty arguments the radical factions are spewing out in this session. "I don't know about you but I think you call those mobile suits abominations is ludicrous. The Earth Forces are simply doing what's necessary in this war. Though I am quite surprised it took them this long to figure out. I thought they would've caught on already and manufacture their own units."

Tad then adds on to what Parnel's statement. "If one side builds a superior weapon, then it's obvious for the other side to build an even superior one to counter the enemy's toy. You don't need to be a military commander to know such a principle. Just look at humanity's historical wars, there's plenty of evidence of said principle in action. Besides, what do you think they thought of us when they saw a GINN for the first time of their life in the opening stages of the war?"

"How dare you say that, Councilman Elsman and Councilman Jesek!" An angry Herman Gould got up from his seat, glaring heatedly at two councilmen. "Clearly you can see their intentions when they made those machines! Those Naturals want to wipe us off for good and you're telling us to say it's alright for them to gain the upper hand?!"

Dearka's father did not flinch on his outburst. "People will always crave for war whether Natural or Coordinator, Councilman Gould. If you think Naturals are the ones who wanted violence, then I'm sorry to say this to you, fellow Councilman Gould, but you're line of thinking is just like that of Blue Cosmos: narrow-minded and bigoted."

His statement immediately ignited a flaming shouting contest between all council members. Poor Chairman Siegel Clyne tries to maintain order but his words fell on deaf ears as members continue to argue against one another in a heated, ugly debate.

Patrick, deciding to end this, calmly begins to start delivering his grand theatrics of drama to the entire council members. Oh, pardon me for the "mistake". Not grand theatrics but a passionate and inspiring speech.

"No one in the PLANTs wants to fight in this atrocious war if it can't be helped."

All members stopped their arguments immediately, looking straight at the elder Zala who stood up from his seat.

"Who among us wants to head out in battle and lead the charge against innumerable odds? All we ever wanted is to live peacefully and happily without facing persecution and discrimination! It has and always been our wish."

His dark brown eyes hardened like cold, tough steel. "But who decided to take our one and only wish away from us? Who decided to take our own freedom away and use us for their sickening gain? We will never forget the horrendous Bloody Valentine Tragedy where our beloved home, Junius Seven, was tragically destroyed in a nuclear strike by the blasted Earth Forces!"

"243,721 innocent men, women and children died that fateful day. It has been a year since we lost many of our fellow countrymen in such an atrocious incident. We wracked our minds in figuring ways to end this war quickly and without bloodshed by making small demands. Such an endeavor, however, can only achieve so much as the Naturals have placed our efforts to waste time and time again! They have driven us to the wall leaving us with the only option to fight. To protect ourselves from those who would see all of us Coordinators dead!"

He then looks at his fellow council members with a radical fire burning in his eyes. "Know this, my fellow council members, if we cannot protect what is dear to us without fighting, then our hopes, our dreams, and our future will wither away in this fire which is this war."

The man takes his seat, letting his words sink in. Nobody can really argue such a speech since he did bring up valid points. After the Junius Seven tragedy, all of the PLANTs representatives tried to renegotiate some demands and other requests to Earth but it only instigated the war they are currently facing.

Besides, if they do not fight and protect themselves against the enemy, then another Junius Seven tragedy will repeat until all of PLANTs is destroyed. Their future, as Patrick stated, will be bleak and filled with dark times.

Tad Elsman, however, has balls made of steel, giving him a faux applause. "Bravo, Patrick Zala. You are really a drama lover aren't you? Truly you would make a good actor in those soap operas my wife loves to watch so much. It makes me wonder if you once auditioned for a drama show in the PLANTs before you became Chairman of the National Defense Committee."

That prompted a few snickers within the council chambers which came from Ali, Parnel, and surprisingly, Yuri Amalfi, while the others stayed quiet. Of course the only person who did not take so kindly to the jab is no other than the elder Zala himself who heatedly glared at the laid back yet smart council member.

"Still, I do have to point out one flaw in your ever so impassioned speech. Using the victims as a rallying factor for war against the Earth Alliance is something an orator should not do if he or she wants to persuade the crowd to give them a reason as to why they should fight. What you did is a move that is downright insulting to their memory."

"How dare you say such a thing against me, Tad! My beloved wife, Lenore, was killed in Junius Seven and you're telling me that my speech is an insult to her memory?!"

Siegel calmly raises his hand, silencing the enraged man. "That is what Councilman Elsman is trying to say, Vice Chairman Zala. You allowed your emotions to get the better of you which isn't something a leader should allow. Leaders must make and choose important decisions with a clear mind. They must be willing to work towards peace without having to fight a war such as this. Even with a slight chance, they must be willing to take it."

The chairman then looks to every one of his fellow council members. "Fellow council members, I know we do not want to engage in this war such as this but we have no choice in the matter. Still, we must fight this war with a calm, rational mindset. We cannot allow ourselves to be fueled with vengeance and hatred for it will continue the never-ending cycle of hatred and sorrow. We must be fighting for a peaceful coexistence with the Naturals and with the nations of Earth. It is our responsibility to ensure future generations will prosper in an era of peace, never needing to suffer for our mistakes."

Nobody argued with the Chairman after he delivered his short but precise speech to his fellow council members. Seeing no arguments, he dismisses the session, having enough excitement for one day.

"Since we are done with this session, I declare this meeting adjourned."

One by one, council members begin to file out of the council chambers, tending to whatever matters calling their attention. Patrick stayed behind to talk with Rau concerning some important business while Athrun left the council chambers, relieved the session is finally over.

To be honest, he is rather thankful for not pursuing a career in politics since it is not his main cup of tea. Besides, from what he witnessed in the last thirty to forty minutes, if this were a daily occurrence in the council chambers, then no thanks for gaining a seat in office. He would leave it to those eager and passionate about it.

The young man continues to wait outside the council chambers until he hears Siegel call out to him.

"Ah Athrun! It's been a while since we last seen each other."

The elite pilot stood in attention in front of the man, saluting before him. "It's been a while Honorable Chairman Clyne."

The man chuckles at the teenager, easing him to stand down. "No need to be so formal with me, my dear boy! Tell me, is this your first time having to report to the council?"

"Y-yes, Mr. Clyne."

"I see. Well you did a splendid job if I have to say so myself. Still, I apologize for you having to experience and witness a rather…immature meeting right there."

"It's not a problem sir. I'm sure in times of war, council sessions tend to be more heated than in pre-war times."

"Quite true, I'm sad to say. Usually they don't go out of hand but with the Junius Seven Tragedy and the war we are currently facing, council members tend to let their personal feelings get the best of them. Thankfully, there are a few who are rational and logical in the mind but not so much for the others. Then again, I wouldn't blame them since some of our members lost a relative or a spouse in the tragic incident. The cloud of revenge still hangs over their heads ever so strongly and I don't think it'll dissipate anytime soon."

Taking a sigh, he looks over to the young man. "Regardless, it's really a shame that you're back from the front lines while my dear daughter is out on a business trip."

"Well if it makes you feel any better, Mr. Clyne, she did notify me via email about going to Junius Seven for the one-year anniversary memorial."

The older man smiles slightly. "Engaged to be married yet you never seem to make time with each other. Makes me wonder when you will…what do people say nowadays, Athrun?"

"Hang out."

"Ah yes, that's the word I'm looking for. Makes me wonder when you'll hang out with my daughter and perhaps spend a bit of time with her."

"I'll try my best to figure out a way to make my schedule work, Mr. Clyne."

"No need to be so hard on yourself Athrun. After all, we're busy people with duties that needed to be fulfilled."

Silence filled the air for a moment before they heard a pair of footsteps ring out in the air. Looking back, they see Rau approaching them with a calm look on his face. Standing before Chairman Clyne, he gives his salute before turning his attention to Athrun.

"Lieutenant Zala, we will be pursuing the Earth Alliance's warship and the mobile suits. The Laconi, Harken, and Porto teams will be joining under my command in this mission. We will be leaving in seventy-two hours. If you have any unfinished business to attend, please do so in a timely manner before takeoff."

"Yes sir!" He turns to Siegel. "Sorry Mr. Clyne but duty calls."

"No need to apologize son. I understand. Be safe and good luck." The two saluted to the man before leaving the Supreme Council Chamber. When they are no longer in sight, he took to another direction straight to his office, attending whatever business matters requiring his attention.

* * *

In the _Archange_ l's bridge, Jack and Kira are being briefed by Mu about their current situation and where they are now. Needless to say, everybody, minus Cooper who read articles pertaining to the Debris Belt, was shocked to hear themselves going into that part of space.

Sai looked at the Hawk of Endymion as if he has lost his mind about such an endeavor. After all, nobody out of their sane minds would venture in such a dangerous part of space. "Hold on. You're saying we have to go through the Debris Belt to get to the EA Lunar HQ?! A spot in space where ships can easily crash if they're not careful around the wreckage?"

"That's right kid. We already talked about this before and after much consideration, everybody voted yes. This is the fastest route to take if we ever wanted to head towards the Moon."

"We share the same sentiments as you do, Crewman Argyle. We don't want to take this route if there is another one but as it stands, this is the only available road we can take." said Murrue.

"What's the plan then?" asked Cooper, wanting to go straight in instead of wasting time. Less time wasted, the better.

"The Debris Belt consists of many things drifting in space ranging from ships in humanity's early days of space exploration to destroyed warships, mobile suits and armors. Once we're there, or near it, we'd like you two to gather supplies for the ship since we weren't able to get them from the Artemis."

Kira, of course not being so enthusiastic about this decision, heatedly glared at them. "What you're saying and doing is nothing more than desecrating the dead. What you're suggesting is a mortal sin far worse than murdering a human being in this dreadful war."

Cooper, however, understood what they needed to do. He dislikes the idea of being a grave robber, snooping around the Debris Belt to grab whatever supplies they deem is necessary for the ship but what can they do in this situation?

"Looks like we don't have much of a choice now, do we? Alright, we'll get it done."

Kira and the others were quite stunned at Cooper's immediate agreement to the plan. Catching their look, the Militia pilot takes a sigh before breaking it down for the kids.

"Look, I don't like the idea of robbing the dead as much as the next guy but if we're going to survive this journey, we need to take whatever we can get. Leave the personal stuff alone but grab the essentials needed for the ship. As I said, I don't like being a grave robber but with the circumstances given, we need to take whatever we can to stay alive."

Nobody argued on his point. Not even Kira.

"Like Cooper we don't like it either but we don't have much of a choice. However, when you're in the Debris Belt, don't linger too long since there could be ZAFT patrols, or worse, space pirates roaming around the area. As Jack mentioned, pick whatever is vital for the ship to stay afloat and return."

"But what about space pirates? You do know those guys love to come in here and grab some cosmic junk or tech before selling them in the underground market, right?"

"We didn't rule the possibility of their appearance here in this part of town. If you or Kira encounter them, either let them pass or take them down. Preferably the former since we don't want to attract a possible lone ZAFT patrol. We can't simply take that risk. Anything else?"

Nobody said a word since everybody went back to their posts. Kira takes his leave to the pilot room to get himself suited up for this rather dangerous trip to the cosmic junkyard. Before leaving, he turns his attention to his older brother figure.

"I'll be heading over to the pilot room to get suited up."

Jack gave him a two-finger salute. "Sure thing son. Don't wait up for me."

Kira nods his head before leaving the bridge. Prior to following suit, Murrue grabs his hand, giving him a worried squeeze. He looks back at her, raising an eyebrow at such an action.

Granted this is not the first time Murrue has shown a tiny bit of vulnerable behavior, if you can call it, over his wellbeing in the front lines. Case number one is her concerned about him covering Kira's retreat from the raging Duel. Now here she is holding his hand like a worried lover fearing to lose her significant other.

"Jack, please be careful out there okay? The Debris Belt is dangerous and I don't want you getting hurt."

Despite it being a bit strange for her to act like this, he does find it a bit adorable to a certain extent. He eased her worries by giving her a confident yet soft smile at her. He even gave her a reassuring squeeze to ease her worries. "Hey don't worry about me Murrue. Besides, it's not the first time I've faced more dangerous obstacles in my life than this one. A hot lady such as yourself shouldn't stress out too much. It isn't good for your overall health you know?"

The brunette woman blushed furiously at the man for calling her gorgeous but nonetheless gave him another worried squeeze. "Still, please do be careful out there okay? I worry over you, you know?"

"And I thank you for your concern but as I said, you don't need to worry about me. It'll take more than space rubble to kill me and BT. See you in a bit."

Cooper kissed the back of her hand before leaving the bridge. The brunette captain stared at the door with a faraway yet fond look on her face. Oh this is perfect for our resident mobile armor pilot as he is now grinning from ear to ear after witnessing the banter between them. This is the perfect opportunity to have his little fun.

By little fun, I mean teasing lovestruck people. After all, it is so obvious the woman is attracted to the mercenary pilot so what better way to do it than to poke a little bit of fun around her? Besides, it is not the first time he has done this around people who are either above or below him in rank.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? Is our dear sweet Captain Ramius perhaps smitten with our ruggedly handsome mercenary by the name of Jack Cooper?"

Immediately, Murrue whipped her head right at the grinning blonde pilot, her blush increasing ever more. The poor woman is sputtering denials at him for making such an insinuation.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about, Lieutenant La Flaga. There's no way Jack would like me in a romantic sense."

"Oh really? Doesn't seem that way from our perspective since you have that faraway look on your face. But if you're so adamant about him not liking you in a romantic sense, then care to explain why the Casanova even kissed your hand in the first place?"

Murrue stopped in her tracks. Well damn, the blasted man got her now. Time to think of a possible reason before he jumps to premature conclusions. She rummages through her head, thinking of a plausible excuse to give to the Hawk of Endymion. A minute later, she found one.

Or at least, that is what she hoped it was a reasonable excuse.

"Well…he's just flirting with me. Yes, he's just flirting. Nothing more, nothing less. Just witty, good humor banter. I don't see why our interaction would lead you to the conclusion of him being romantically interested in me."

"Sure, he's flirting. Whatever floats your boat, Murrue. Next thing you know, he moves up from your hand to your cheek, or even better, your lips. I can tell you're already falling for the man considering how you expressed yourself to Cooper a minute ago. Deny it all you want but it's quite clear as day."

Murrue looked down on the floor, wondering if what Mu said is correct. Whether or not it is right for her to move on to a new romantic relationship after her boyfriend died a year ago during the opening stages of this war. If she is indeed falling for the mercenary pilot whom she just met for a short while. Before she can ponder on such thoughts, Cooper's helmeted face appeared on the bridge's main viewing window.

"Sorry to interrupt whatever you're doing but Kira and I are wondering if we're already there. Kid's kinda antsy to get in and out there ASAP which I don't blame him. I also want to get this done and over with."

Returning back to her professional manner, Murrue orders Arnold to bring up the map. "Petty Officer Neumann, what's our current position at this moment?"

Checking over the monitor, Arnold reports back to her. "We're just near the outskirts of the Debris Belt as we speak. May as well launch them out."

"Very well." She turns her attention to Cooper on the video feed. "You may proceed to launch but tread cautiously around the debris surrounding the place Understand?"

"Sure thing. Jack out."

Turning around, she looks to the crew to see who will volunteer in this scavenger hunt. "So, who wants to go on this mission?"

Down in the hangar, Jack stepped up to the catapult, equipped with the modified MMI-M100 shotgun, the broadsword, and the Vulcan shield. Pressing a few buttons around the cockpit, he looks up to the clearance signal, waiting for everything to turn green. Giving the okay signal, he immediately launches from the _Archangel_. Three seconds later, Kira follows suit with the Strike equipped with the Alie Pack.

The two took off into the debris belt, scavenging every nook and cranny to see what they can find for the ship. They spend the next fifteen minutes looking through the debris belt only to grab a handful of metal from floating debris. The rest were either too small or too large to fit the _Archangel_.

During their scavenger hunt, they had the misfortune of encountering a team of space pirates, armed with some stolen Earth Alliance Moebius mobile armors. How they were able to get their get their grubby hands on military equipment, the two pilots will never know. Jack, however, has a hunch those guys either got it from the black market or staged a daring heist.

Banking more on the former than the latter.

Still, those morons do not pose a huge threat since Jack made short work in demolishing them to bits. The battle literally ended, and I am not joking, within a minute. Those pirates have atrocious piloting skills that even a starting Titan pilot can win without having to break a sweat. Hell, even a rookie Earth Alliance mobile armor pilot can easily tear them a new one without any issues.

"Kira, found anything useful in this junkyard? I have a handful of metal here that can suit the _Archangel_."

The young man shakes his head to the Militia pilot. "I don't see anything useful on my end. I guess we can take them back to the Arch…"

Kira stopped dead in his tracks, looking at something he wished he would not see in his lifetime. Cooper, wondering what has gotten into him, got on the radio channel to ask him what he just saw. "Kira talk to me. What'd you find?"

No response. "Kid, what's gotten into you? Talk to me."

Again, no response. Deciding to figure out what stunned the kid into silence, Jack flew over to where he stopped. Before he can even say anything, the man looked over to his front. Sure enough, he found the source of the kid's silence.

Right in front of them is a large…no scratch that, colossal debris that befits the size of a planetary continent. The continental debris barely resembles that of an hourglass, similar to the colonies in the PLANTs. Down below, the two pilots can see remains of cities, towns and even villages. Agricultural fields float aimlessly around space along with vehicles, wrecked to a tin can or still intact.

True enough, they stumbled upon the source that started the Bloody Valentine War. The largest grave mankind ever created in the Cosmic Era. Ladies and gentlemen, this place is no other than the agricultural PLANT colony, Junius Seven.

Or the remains of a once peaceful colony.

While Kira is having a hard time processing what he is witnessing, Cooper is not so shocked to say the least. Junius Seven may have been considered to be the most tragic event in the Cosmic Era but even that cannot compare to the Frontier massacres carried out by the IMC when they try to control the planets around the Core System. Those are in a league of their own.

"BT. Tell me if I'm right but isn't this Junius Seven?"

" **You are correct, Pilot Cooper. Junius Seven is where the Earth Alliance unleashed a nuclear warhead at the colony during the opening stages of the war. Estimated casualties in the agricultural place is about two hundred forty-three thousand seven hundred and twenty-one civilians.** "

"You know a simple 'yes' would've sufficed, BT."

" **I detect sarcasm.** "

Kira ignored the two, still having hard time believing what he just witnessed. "I thought I was hallucinating when I first saw Junius Seven. I rubbed my eyes thinking it'd be gone but it's still there. What do you think we should do?"

"Let's fall back to the _Archangel_ and report to the captain what we just witnessed."

With that, the two flew back to the _Archangel_ , Kira taking point and Jack trailing behind him. Once inside the hangar, the brunette teen directed the Strike to the charging station while the Militia duo dumped the scrap pieces of metal in the large bin which is connected to a Mistral pod. Placing BT back in the charging station, the two pilots went up to the bridge to report to Captain Ramius.

"I see." said Murrue, still processing the report in her mind. Natarle looked over to the two pilots, giving them a report about ice deposits formed around the destroyed colony.

"While you two were gathering supplies for the ship, we detected large pockets of ice around Junius Seven. About a hundred million tons of frozen water to be precise. We thought it'd be to our advantage to cut them from the colony which will solve our current water crisis."

"And before every one of you protests, we all thought this through. Nobody is jumping up and down for joy or shouting 'Hooray! We finally found some water!'. Not a single person wants to step into that place if it can be helped, but it can't. Besides, don't you think the people of Junius Seven would want us to survive?" commented Mu.

Kira still feels uncomfortable about taking the ice deposits from Junius Seven. If it were up to him, he would rather leave it there undisturbed but with the current water situation they are facing, there is not a lot of options to take.

"So we'll just be cutting the ice from Junius Seven and take it back from the _Archangel_. We wouldn't be taking anything else, right?" asked the teenage boy.

"Bingo. We'll send out a couple teams to cut the ice down while you and Jack guard them from any threats."

"Alright but may I, with your permission, ask for a request?"

Murrue granted his request. "Go ahead Kira."

"Before leaving, perhaps we can commemorate the dead in some way or another. It doesn't have to be a big ceremony but a short and precise one. It's only fair now that we're here."

Seeing no harm in it, she gives the green light. "Very well." She then looks over to Cooper. "Pilot Cooper, would you like to take over for the small commemoration?"

The man shrugs his shoulders, taking off his helmet from his head before strapping it to the side. "Sure thing."

Everybody stood in attention, facing the ruins of Junius Seven. Clearing his throat, Cooper begins to give his own small prayer for the deceased.

"Almighty God, we stand here today to pray for the dearly departed citizens of Junius Seven. We ask of you, O Almighty God, to protect the souls of our dearly departed brothers and sisters of Junius Seven from the snares of evil and bring them into paradise, their true home. There, we hope that they will experience joy and peace."

A moment of silence washed over the bridge, as they prayed over the souls of the victims killed in the Bloody Valentine Tragedy. A minute has passed before Cooper finishes the small ceremony.

"May their souls rest in peace."

With the small ceremony over, Kira, Jack took off into the hangar, getting in their respective mobile suits. The two pilots launched from the _Archangel_ before a couple Mistral pods left the ship, equipped with saws and crates. While the other teams started to work, Miriallia, dressed in a spacesuit, got out of the pod, releasing origami flowers into Junius Seven. Kira and Jack provided some overwatch, roaming around the vicinity to make sure nobody tries to eliminate them.

During his patrol, Jack stumbled upon a green and white civilian ship. Seeing no harm in it, the man continued on his patrol until his proximity alarms went off. Spotting a large metallic structure to hide, he flew over before taking a peek at the incoming passerby.

Flying behind the wrecked civilian ship emerges a ZAFT GINN, Unlike the other GINNs he encountered in Heliopolis, this one has a black color scheme, decked out with two reconnaissance radomes, one for each shoulder and enhanced sensor array mounted the fin. The mobile suit is holding what appears to be a sniper rifle.

"BT, get me a visual on that mobile suit. I don't think I've encountered this machine yet."

" **Scanning…this machine is designated as the ZGMF-LRR704B GINN Long Range Reconnaissance Type. Classification: Reconnaissance Mobile Suit. This is a two-seater machine with one pilot responsible for combat while the co-pilot is responsible for the searching systems.** "

"Alright, we'll stay low for the meantime to see if this GINN will pass by. If not, we'll take him out."

" **Copy that pilot.** "

Cooper tapped into their comms to listen on the two-man team.

"Eric, have you found anything yet?"

"Negative, Yael. My scans show up empty other than dead EA personnel and some of our own."

"Shit. We're screwed if we don't find the Chairman's daughter. We have to keep looking before we're getting our asses torn a new one. She shouldn't be too far."

The GINN flew around the ship before leaving the wrecked vessel. Cooper breathes a sigh of relief, thankful that the enemy would not alert his other buddies on their current position but he is wondering who is this supposed daughter they are talking about. He decides to stow it in the back of his mind before focusing his mind on their current situation.

Just as things are going so well, one of the Mistral pods decided fly up in the GINN's line of sight. And as you would expect, the two ZAFT pilots were on alert.

"I got an enemy signature on my radar. Tracking…it's an Earth Alliance Mistral pod!" reported Yael.

"What the? What the hell is that piece of junk doing over here of all places?" asked a confused Eric.

"I have no clue why they're here in the first place but it doesn't matter. We can't let them run and report back to their commander."

Cooper aimed his modified MMI-M100 shotgun right at the incoming reconnaissance GINN, getting his crosshairs on the target. Lined up in his sights, he fires three consecutive shots at the mobile suit before unleashing a barrage of missiles right at the enemy. The mobile suit erupted in a fiery blaze, leaving the Mistral shuttle unharmed.

"Goodness gracious that was too close! Thanks for the save, Jack!" said Kuzzey.

Chandra nods his head in agreement with his partner. "Holy shit, I thought was I goner back there! I guess I owe you one Cooper."

"We can talk about drinks later. Right now, we need to grab our water supply and skedaddle. If you guys are done, then get back to the _Archangel_. It won't be long before ZAFT comes in to investigate the area."

The Mistral shuttle carrying Kuzzey and Chandra went back to the _Archangel_ in haste. Mu's face appeared on Jack's video feed, asking him about the commotion out there.

"What the hell is going on over there, Jack? I hear you unleashing some shots before a loud explosion erupted. Are there some more space pirates out there?"

"Negative. Replace pirates with an enemy recon GINN. The unit was surveying the area before spotting one of our shuttles. I had to take it out before it can alert the others."

Murrue's face appeared in the other screen of his cockpit. "Looks like we have to speed up the process. I'll alert the others to take whatever ice they can get before returning to the _Archangel_."

"Roger. I'll get the kid before we head back. Jack out."

Ending the connection, his cockpit sensors picked up an unknown S.O.S signal. Turning around, he spots the source of said signal. Marking it in the cockpit's HUD, he flew over to see what it was until he spotted what appears to be a life pod floating around the Junius Seven wreckage.

"An active life pod? What the hell is it doing out here in Junius Seven?"

" **Unknown but my assumption would be the life pod belonging to the destroyed civilian ship we spotted a few minutes ago. What will you do with it, Jack?** "

The answer is quite obvious. "Pick it up of course."

" **You do know that Ensign Badgiruel would not be pleased by picking up a life pod within this debris.** "

"Pssh, I ain't afraid of Natarle, BT. The only person I'm supposed to be afraid is Murrue since she's our boss, not her. If she has something to bitch about, then tough luck on her part."

" **Captain Ramius told you to never antagonize her. I would advise you to at least follow her advice, pilot.** "

"And I also told her I wouldn't promise anything if she tries to go 'bitch-mode' on me. Anyways, we're taking this life pod back with us. The _Archangel_ is already harboring refugees from Heliopolis so what is one more person on board the ship?"

BT and Cooper grabbed the pod before flying back to the _Archangel_ with the pod in tow. Little did the two know the person inside the pod is the aforementioned Chairman's daughter.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **And that is about it! Phew I finally finished the entire thing. Man there are many things to talk about both on this chapter and some of the reviews I am getting so let us not waste any time and head straight into it.**

 **First let us head dive in to the chapter shall we?**

 **1.) If you read the chapter, you would notice that I made Councilman Tad Elsman criticize the radical council members in the session. The man is a moderate/neutral council member in the beginning of the Gundam SEED series before becoming a radical because his son defected from ZAFT to join up the Clyne Faction. I do not know about you, but I do not see the man as a hardcore radical like Patrick or Ezalia.**

 **Besides, you as a council member do not turn from moderate/neutral to radical just because your son defected to the "enemy's" side. A preposterous and illogical reason if I have to say so myself.**

 **Not to mention, this is fanfiction. We can turn certain characters who did not have a lot of character exposition and mold them into what we like to make. So in this story, I will make Tad Elsman a moderate/neutral, not a hardcore radical as he was shown in the series.**

 **To those who do not know who these people are in the PLANTs Supreme Council here is a list of their names and party affiliation:**

 **Siegel Clyne - Moderate  
Patrick Zala - Radical  
Ezalia Joule - Radical  
Ali Kasim - Moderate  
Yuri Amalfi - Moderate  
Louise Leitner - Radical  
Jeremy Maxwell - Radical  
Orson White - Radical  
Eileen Canaver - Moderate  
Tad Elsman - Moderate/Neutral  
Herman Gould - Radical  
Parnel Jesek - Moderate/Neutral**

 **2.) I placed the little romantic banter and flirting in the chapter between Murrue and Cooper. Well, ladies and gentlemen, I am now officially pairing these two as a couple in this story. I was actually mulling about this decision for a while as I continue to write the chapters for the story. I continued to toy with the idea until I decided to go down with it.**

 **Besides, Murrue is a gorgeous woman in Gundam SEED and Jack deserves the best since he basically saved Harmony from being blasted to pieces from the IMC Fold Weapon. Well...I guess Talia Gladys can be considered a beauty since she is quite an attractive lady. I mean, she is up there with Murrue in terms of the beauty department but I think Cooper and Murrue would be a nice couple to pair.**

 **To those who are adamant about me not making any romantic pairings concerning Cooper with any lady from the SEED universe, well sorry to say but the romance ship left the port and is already sailing. Once the ship is sailing, you cannot stop it.**

 **4.) I mentioned about the Frontier massacres within the chapter. To those who played the first Titanfall game, or as I call it, Titanfall 1, remember the level called "The Colony" where the IMC sent their Spectres for a "field test" in a small colonial outpost only to find out they are in fact killing them? Sure the IMC guys are "rounding up" civilians suspected of collaborating with "terrorists" but let us be real here, they probably gunned them down before even making an arrest. Even if they did, they were probably very few and even then they probably took them out in a large field and executed them. I am sure the IMC has committed similar massacres within the Core Systems to not only control the rowdy populace but also make an example to those trying to defy their conquest.**

 **Hence why I placed it over there. If you think I am wrong about writing it in the chapter, let me know in the review section.**

 **Now that we have everything mentioned in the chapter, let us go over to some of the reviews, shall we?**

 **One of the reviews talked to me about getting rid of the CGUE's fin and thrusters since it makes them look ridiculous. Well first off, the fin is a sensor array which allows the pilot of either the GINN or CGUE to get information from the battlefield which will allow them to figure out where potential threats are located. The thrusters allow the mobile suit to fly around space in a quick manner. They can use the thrusters in atmospheric combat but for the most part, CGUEs and GINNs need to rely on Guuls to stay airborne.**

 **As for taking them out, I am not since they look rather cool aesthetically in my opinion so I will keep them in there for the time being.**

 **For the Titan cores, one review told me to add the Sword Core. The reviewer did bring up a good point about how fist fighting will work for the meantime but soon be obsolete in the long run. So I went ahead and decided to modify the CGUE's broadsword installing it with an anti-beam coating so that it will be able to block the beam sabers without much issues. The broadsword will also be capable of performing the Arc Wave, much like the Ronin's blade in Titanfall 2 so for all of you who are die-hard fans of Ronin, here you go.**

 **While we are still talking about cores, the modified MMI-M100 anti-aircraft shotgun used by the DINN is acting like the Tone's 40mm Tracker Cannon so why not add the Salvo Core in the mix? Since Vanguard-class Titans are built to utilize different cores and abilities from different Titan loadouts, it would not be surprising to have BT utilize the Salvo Core and Sword Core. Again, if I am wrong about the Vanguard-class Titan, then correct me in the review section.**

 **Now here are some matters I want to ask you, my fellow viewers and I want to know what your feedback is to said matters. So here we go:**

 **1.) Since I am placing Davis and Droz in the story, what Titans do you think they are most likely to pilot? Also, what mobile suit do you think would suit them best if they are coming over from the Titanfall Universe to the SEED Universe?**

 **2.) Do you want me to bring in the whole entire Frontier War over to the Gundam SEED Universe or just bring in a few characters over to the SEED Universe? I am sure you understand what I mean by bring in the Frontier War but I do want to know if you would like to see the entire IMC and Militia along with their contracted affiliated groups fight over in the Cosmic Era?**

 **3.) Who do you think Mu La Flaga should be paired in the story? I have no idea who to pair him to be quite honest. Still, do you want me to create a Titanfall OC pilot or possibly bring in a cannon character from Titanfall? Let me know in the review section :)**

 **4.) Do you, my fellow viewers, want me to create a lemon? Now I am sorta leery about the idea of writing one in the story because I have a feeling it might end up ruining the story. What I have in mind is to imply that they did the deed and not fully write out a lemon scene but do let me know what you guys have in mind about this question.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

 **A/N:**

 **Yo! It's Giriko-99 here giving you guys another lovely chapter of** _ **Mobile Suit Titan SEED**_ **! Just wanted say, wow, you guys really responded to my question and have given me some nice feedback.**

 **I am still working on the little kinks and details of the story, seeing how we can spice it up a bit. I am still debating about bringing the entire Frontier War over to the SEED Universe but for the moment, I am settling with tackling the present timeline. Besides, I still have plenty of time to mull it over.**

 **So without further delays, we can kickstart this party!**

 **Legend:**

 **Hello – BT-7274 Speaking**

 _Hello_ **– Thoughts, or flashback.**

Hello **– Radio communications, news media outlet.**

 **Disclaimer: Titanfall belongs to Respawn Entertainment while Gundam SEED belongs to Sunrise and directed by Mitsudo Fukuda.**

* * *

 _Jack Davidson Cooper's Log Book 2.1_

 _What went from a simple scavenging mission around the Debris Belt turned to us, meaning Kira and I, encountering the ruins of Junius Seven. Truth be told, it's my first-time visiting the destroyed colony and I'll have to say, it's quite a humbling experience. And it wasn't just the visit that was humbling. I was even given the honor to say a short prayer to commemorate and honor the fallen victims within the sunken colony._

 _After the small commemoration ceremony, we went back to reality, grabbing the ice deposits formed around it. Call us grave robbers all you want but just a friendly reminder, we are running low on water._

 _While the team continuously drilled the ice away, I happen to spot a recon GINN unit hovering around the Debris Belt. Apparently, ZAFT is looking for the Chairman's daughter, whoever she is. Hey don't blame me for not knowing who the PLANTs leader's kid is because I was busy trying to repair my partner and get him working to full capacity._

 _I did pick up a floating pod from the Debris Belt. BT was rather hesitant about picking up a stranded pod but I reminded him that the Archangel is already harboring refugees. Besides, if Natarle decides to yell at me again for bringing in more refugees, then I can always tell her what I told BT._

 _Or better yet, I can give her the finger. Whatever works best I guess?_

 _Jack Cooper, Pilot of BT-7274, 41_ _st_ _Militia Rifle Battalion._

* * *

In the Aprilius One port, a worried Athrun stepped off the elevator lift with his suitcase in tow. After visiting his mother's grave from one of the PLANT colonies and taking a bit of a tour around Aprilius One, his three-day leave was unfortunately cut short since the _Vesalius_ is ready to leave to pursue the Earth Alliance's legged ship and their mobile suits before reaching to the Earth Alliance lunar headquarters.

If that is the case, then why is the man sweating bullets when he left the elevator? It is just the legged ship and it's mobile suits right? Well that is not what made him frantic. During his stay in the Aprilius One military base, the disappearance of Lacus Clyne was broadcasted all over the PLANTs. Search teams tried their hardest to find any signs of her around the ruins of Junius Seven and within the Debris Belt but came back empty handed. With no signs of Lacus Clyne, the news of course caused quite a panic all over the PLANTs. Before more scare can instantly spread all over PLANTs, ZAFT Supreme Council made some reassuring attempts to calm the population down with some success.

Perhaps this is why his leave got cut short. The ZAFT Supreme Council may have used the cover-up of pursuing the legged ship and the mobile suits for a search and rescue mission to retrieve Lacus. Regardless of the circumstances, he will do whatever it takes to make sure his fiancé is alright and safe before she ends up becoming a political hostage by the Earth Alliance.

That is the very last thing they need to worry about as they are gaining momentum over the Earth Forces. Just as he is about to leave the lift, a green coat soldier stopped him for a moment, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Erm, can I help you with something, sir?" asked a bewildered Athrun.

"Are you Lieutenant Zala?"

Athrun nods his head to him. "Yes. Why? What's the matter?"

"Commander Le Creuset and Vice Chairman Zala wants to meet you at Gate Twelve before boarding the _Vesalius_."

"Right. Thanks for the notice."

The man saluted to the young elite soldier before heading off into a different direction. Following the signs around the spaceport, he reached Gate Twelve where Commander Le Creuset and his father are talking with each other.

Approaching them, Athrun placed his professional attitude on, saluting before them. "Commander Le Creuset, Vice Chairman Zala, you requested my presence?"

Rau nods his head before motioning him to stand at ease. "That's right Athrun. Go ahead Vice Chairman Zala."

Clearing his throat, the elder Zala looks at his son straight in the eye. "I assume you heard about the frantic news of Miss Clyne's disappearance, yes?"

"Yes father." He then turns to his superior officer with a questioning look on his face. "But sir, you're not suggesting we go searching for her with the Vesalius, right? Especially in such a chaotic time of war? Couldn't we leave that sort of mission for the other reserve units?"

The masked man chuckles at his trusted subordinate before adjusting his mask. "Come now Athrun, don't be such a cold man. This is your fiancé we're talking about. Of course, we'll naturally head out to search for her."

"But we don't have any evidence that something actually happened to her ship, which is a civilian one sir."

His father chimes in to the conversation. "That's why we're talking about this, Athrun. Although it wasn't publicized to the people, a reconnaissance GINN from the Yun Law team hasn't returned from the search. The last time they were seen was around 10 AM on the Debris Belt. We haven't heard from them ever since."

"Junius Seven has been pulled by the Earth's gravity, making it part of the Debris Belt. Not an ideal location for a recon team to perform a search and rescue mission at such a part in space. The _Gamow_ , although destroyed the Eurasian installation, Artemis, lost the legged ship amidst the chaos. Hence why we are leaving the PLANTs immediately." Rau added in.

"All of PLANTs are aware that you and Lacus are engaged to each other. So the Le Creuset team, which you're part of, can't exactly sit by and do nothing. She's an idol to everybody here in PLANTs. You cannot fail this mission at all costs."

True to Vice Chairman Zala's words, Lacus Clyne is quite an idol amongst the populace. Aside from being a successful pop singer, she is a morale booster during this time of war, offering comforting and encouraging words to everybody. If news of her death reaches home, not only will her father be devastated but the people as well. Such a loss will definitely take a huge hit on their morale and would ultimately lead them to their defeat.

This is why it is important for the Le Creuset team to rescue her from enemy hands at all costs. No pressure right? Well this is nothing to them since they are always ready to rise up to the challenge when needed.

"Don't worry, we'll do our very best to make sure she is safe." remarks Athrun.

"See to it that you do."

The two saluted to the man before embarking in the _Vesalius_ ready to find the pink-haired songstress.

* * *

In the _Archangel_ , Jack and BT brought the life pod back in the hangar, placing it gently on the floor. Jack placed BT back to the recharging station before meeting with the rest of the assembled crew on the floor.

Meeting up with them, Natarle cannot help but shake her head at Cooper for bringing in another civilian life pod in the ship. "First Kira and now you as well? What is the deal with you and these life pods? You two really like to bring in things others left behind, don't you?"

What does Jack answer in response to the raven-haired ensign? Give her the middle finger and a silent "fuck you" to her. Understandably, Natarle's face went red in rage at such a vulgar gesture but the man gives her a taunting grin making her simmer in rage all the more. Oh it is so satisfying to drive the stuck-up, stick-lodged-in-the-ass ensign so mad. It is so worth it! Cooper does not give a single fucking care since he loves riling up the lady too much for his own amusement. To be honest, it is quite entertaining to see her get so angry so quickly.

Mu chuckles at the interaction but at this point it is not surprising for Jack to bring in another civilian. I mean they are already harboring refugees so what is one more added to the ship, right?

"Well if you must know, Natarle, the _Archangel_ is the patron saint of strays. After all, you have to consider the refugees from Heliopolis aboard the ship."

Despite it being a joke, Murrue does not seem to be pleased by the man's humor. "Mu, please, don't say such a thing. Even if it's meant to be a funny joke, this isn't the time to be making crude jokes."

The man shrugs his shoulders making the woman sigh. Whether in disappointment or just plain tired nobody knows. Murdoch continues to try and override the pod's code via the TACPAD only to meet with minimal success.

"Man, I can't seem to get this thing open. Usually my TACPAD is able to get the job done in no time but for some reason this pod isn't cooperating with me…"

After watching the mechanic struggle a bit for a few painstaking minutes, Cooper decides to help the poor man out before he embarrasses himself any further in front of the entire crew. Parting from the group, he stops over to the pod before he grabs his trusty Data Knife from his holster. This act alone made the chief, and practically everybody, raise a confused eyebrow at him and with good reasoning.

Just what in the world is Cooper thinking when he pulls out his fancy-looking knife from his person? Does he really think such small blade can get this pod to open up? Come on Jack, get real man!

"Cooper, just what in the world are you doing? Can't you see I'm sorta busy with this pod?" asked a perplexed Murdoch.

"It may look like an ordinary knife but it's more than that. Now unplug those wires from the pod so that I can get this thing open." The chief mechanic hesitates a bit, not sure if his trusty tool can do the job. "Trust me on this. I've used it a couple times and hasn't failed me once."

Deciding to give in, he pulls the plugs away. Cooper twirled the Data Knife until the blade is facing down. Jabbing the blade into the lid of the keypad, he uses a small amount of force to lift the plate open. Once pried open, he inserts the blade into the connector slot, while pressing the button on the handy device.

Much to their amazement and awe, the knife begins to display holographic countdown timer rings. Those rings begin to rapidly sink in to the next one as each timer completes the hacking process. Once all rings are placed around the circular holographic display, he places the lid of the keypad down. Even more amazing, the pod's keypad lights up in a green color making everybody stare at him as he tosses the Data Knife in the air before the blade landed perfectly on the palm of his hand.

"What's with the look on your faces? You look like you've seen a ghost or something." asked a confused Cooper.

Murdoch is the first to break out of his stupor. "H-how in the world is it possible? I-I've never seen a standard military issued knife capable of doing such a thing. Just what is it?"

Jack chuckles a bit before showing them his trusty tool. "Well it's a good thing this isn't your normal one. Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you, the Data Knife."

This piqued Sai's interest at the handy-dandy gizmo. He wanted to know more about how this little tool works. "Data Knife you say? Care to explain us what it does, Jack?"

Seeing no harm in providing them a little demonstration, he gives them a rundown on how the Data Knife works. "Sure thing. The Data Knife is capable of hacking into anything from computer panels to keypads to security locks, you name it." He points to the golden chip imbedded on the blade. "See this right here? This allows me to insert it to the connector slot without damaging the insides of the slot."

The man presses the button behind the knife producing the holographic rings to the crowd. "When I press the main button of the Data Knife, the hacking process starts. Now I can't let it go because if I do, I have to start all over again from the beginning. I have to make sure I hold it in before the timer is already done. Nifty little device ain't it?"

Oh yeah, the Data Knife is certainly a piece of art. Hearing a knife capable of hacking into electronic devices without much hassle is indeed amazing and a bit terrifying. Think about it for a minute, if somebody is wielding such a device and uses it brazenly without thinking of the consequences or uses it for malicious purposes, then it can very well be a tool of destruction.

Despite the gizmo's handy function, this strokes the flames of curiosity within the entire _Archangel_ crew all the more about their resident mercenary pilot. Nothing is known about the man other than his occupation, has a smart AI partner named BT-7274 in a custom CGUE, an excellent mobile suit pilot, and now has certain tools to help him out in different situations.

Of course, they are respectful of his privacy, not forcing him to divulge his entire background story to the crew since it would only lessen the trust. Still, they want to know more about him, which is totally understandable. After all, who would not be curious after witnessing all the feats he has performed within a short duration of time?

Cooper did promise Murrue in Heliopolis to reveal his origins and past to them in due time but the question is, when? Only time will tell I guess.

Getting back to the present time, Cooper, as if reading the worried air around them, gives them some reassurance that he will never abuse it. "Hey don't worry about me using it for bad intentions. I only use on enemy devices or stubborn stuff such as this pod over here. So there's no need to worry about me hacking the _Archangel_ 's computers soon."

The pod begins to producing a hissing sound, locks whirling within the contraption, disengaging from their current positions. A group of four soldiers raised their rifles, ready to engage at anything that might attack them. Cooper just crossed his arms, curious about the occupant in the pod. After all, who would be stranded out here in the middle of the Debris Belt while being cooped up in a life pod?

When the doors opened up, something…peculiar happened. When the doors parted, a pink ball flew out of the pod, flapping its wings around the air.

" **Haro! Haro! Hello! Haro!** " The pink ball continued to flap its wings around the air, the curious visitor rather taken by the ship's interior.

This rather odd interaction from the flying pink ball left them speechless as everybody can only watch it fly around the air. Even Murrue, the calm, level-minded captain cannot and could not help but watch the pink toy soar around the ship!

Cooper has seen odd things in the Frontier such as alien animals, insects, and plants but none of them can probably compare to the floating pink ball he is witnessing at the moment. So stupefied by the odd visitor, there is only one thing he can say about the situation.

"That was anti-climactic…"

Everybody who heard the comment had massive sweatdrops behind their head. Just as many would have thought the pink ball is the only visitor, another voice called out to them from the pod.

"My, my. Thank you for your assistance. I truly appreciate it."

All of the crew members snapped their heads back to the pod to see the second visitor come out of the pod. Floating in zero gravity is a young lady, around Kira's age with long flowing pink hair and blue eyes. She is wearing an elaborate white and violet dress. A joyous expression etched on her face.

As everybody watched her float by in stunned silence at the prospect of a young teenager inside a stranded life pod, Cooper noticed Kira entranced by her innocent yet angelic beauty. Oh, this is rather juicy! First, he is taken by Flay and now this? This is perfect teasing material that he can hang on over the poor boy's head! There is only one way to reduce the boy into a stuttering mess.

Taking a teasing grin on his face, he approached the entranced young lad, placing his elbow on his shoulder. The young boy did not register the feeling since he is too captivated by the floating angel that emerged from the life pod.

Leaning down, he whispered into his ear. "So what's this I'm seeing here, Kira? Initially, you were attracted to Flay when she came here in the _Archangel_ but now here you are gaping at the pink angel floating by?"

Kira whirled around to see Jack forming a smirk on his face. "Let me guess, you're smitten by her?"

Poor Kira cannot help but deepen his blush further. He cannot deny Jack's claim that she is indeed quite a cute and wonderful angel. "W-w-well…she's attractive…and uh cute…but I don't think I have a chance with her. She's light years away from me…"

"Out of your league you say? Well if you keep thinking that way, then sure she's out of your league but it wouldn't hurt to just ask her out. I've seen ordinary looking guys like you hit up a chemistry with a nice-looking lady since they have the balls to ask her out."

Kira's blush deepened, poking his index fingers against each other in a timid manner while his purple eyes darted around the floor. The floor looks definitely nice at the moment. Seeing the boy going all timid made the man smack his hand on his forehead. Let it be known to the world that Kira is quite a timid person on the opposite sex when it comes to asking a girl out for a date.

Speaking of angels, the pink-haired teenager looked at the crew to see the Earth Alliance insignia on their uniforms. Tilting her head in an innocent manner, the young lady made a comment that shook them out of their stupor. "Oh my. This isn't a ZAFT ship, isn't it?"

Natarle planted her palm on her face while Murrue just blinked at her. Jack is the one who did not seem to be stunned so he answered the young lady. "Not exactly ma'am. Despite seeing two mobile suits docked here, this is an Atlantic Federation ship."

She then turned her attention to man clad in the strange pilot outfit that does not seem to be used in the Earth Forces. "I see. If you don't mind answering my question, are you, by any chance, part of the Earth Forces, sir?"

He shakes his head at her. "Me? Oh no I ain't part of the EA unlike these guys. Let's say I am a private contractor of sorts."

"So a mercenary is what you're saying, yes?"

Cooper runs a sheepish hand through his hair in a sheepish manner. "Well…um…let's just say private contractor since that's a friendlier term than mercenary."

The pink-haired teenager just gave a small giggled while Natarle snickered at him, enjoying to see him flustered for once instead of her. His eye started to twitch at the raven-haired ensign so what does our Militia hero do in return? He retaliates back by giving her the finger and a quiet "bitch" making the woman stop her snickering and growl for the degrading insults. Murrue just sighs at their antics wondering if her…object of affections will ever give up antagonizing her second in command. She is still debating whether or not she is ready to pursue a relationship in this time of war.

"By the way, I never got your name ma'am. Mine's Jack Cooper but please call me Jack or Cooper but never Mr. Cooper. Calling me that makes me feel old."

"Lacus Clyne, but do please call me Lacus."

"Sure thing."

The moment she introduced herself as Lacus Clyne to the Militia pilot, everybody's eyes widened. Out of all people stranded in that life pod, they rescued Siegel Clyne's daughter?! The Pink Princess of ZAFT who is a famous singer in the PLANTs?! Things are just getting interesting for the _Archangel_ 's crew alright. Just proves to show you that the warship is destined to be thrown into rather complicated situations right from the start.

Mu grins at placed an elbow on his shoulder. "Well Cooper, things just got livelier around these parts of town."

The Militia pilot raised an eyebrow at him. Has the famous Hawk of Endymion been living under a rock ever since they left the destroyed Orb colony known as Heliopolis? Surely, he has to be joking. "The hell you talking about my man? Things got livelier ever since we left Heliopolis. Hell, things got interesting the moment BT and I came into the _Archangel_. Have you been living under a rock or something?"

"Hehehe, point taken." Mu chuckles, running a sheepish hand over his blonde hair. Murrue again sighs at their antics before focusing her attention on the delicate situation of having a daughter of a political leader belonging to an enemy faction aboard their ship.

"Alright, enough with the antics already. Lacus, please follow Mu, Natarle, Cooper and myself to my office. We're not going to interrogate you ruthlessly but we are here to strike a civilized and friendly conversation. The rest of you return to your posts and resume with your duties."

Cooper looked over to the _Archangel_ 's captain with a raised eyebrow. "Um…not that I'm complaining boss, but why are you asking me to come along with you to the office?"

"Because Cooper, you're the one responsible for rescuing her around the Debris Belt. You were around the general vicinity where her pod floated so you'll have to come with us."

Cooper then gave her a teasing grin. He can smell a tiny bit of bullshit on her reasoning. Perhaps she just wanted to have him in the office so she can gaze at him while striking up a conversation with the Mister Clyne's daughter. "Oh ho Murrue, is that so? You say you wanted me to come with you because I was the one responsible for finding her but there might be a different reason for me to come to your office. Could it be that you couldn't resist it my good-looking charms and wanted to see my handsome face in your office? Maybe you just want to stare at it all day long."

As expected, the poor lady's face went atomic red at the insinuation. You can even see steam billowing from her head. Well…there could be a tiny bit of truth to his claim since he is indeed a handsome-looking man and has an irresistible charm.

" _Argh what the hell am I thinking?! Pull yourself together! This isn't the time to be charmed by his good looks even though you can't help but fall for them. Argh, there it goes again! But he's just so good looking. Ugh, I can't believe I'm acting like a flustered school girl!_ "

Mu could not help himself any longer as he begins to laugh at the _Archangel_ 's captain. It is so cute to see Captain Ramius so flustered that she is reduced to a sputtering mess! Oh yeah, it is definitely settled. Captain Murrue Ramius of the _Archangel_ is attracted to Pilot Jack Cooper alright if her blushing reaction is anything to go by!

Even Lacus herself is giggling at the interaction between Cooper and Murrue finding it to be rather cute.

"I knew it. You just couldn't resist my charming good looks. Let me tell you something Murrue, if you wanted to stare at my face all day long, then just ask. I surely wouldn't mind it one bit and I'm sure you wouldn't mind it either."

The poor lady's face graduated to another shade of red. "I-I don't know what you're talking about Jack. I'll admit you're handsome and good-looking that makes me want to eat you up in bed…"

The brunette captain immediately stopped, mortified at what she just implied to the Militia pilot. Cooper is rather amused by the slip-up she just made which gave him some more teasing material for him to use against her in the near future.

"Oh ho, what's this I'm seeing and hearing? My oh my, you sure are quite the bold lady, Murrue. We just met each other for a short while yet you couldn't help but immediately dive in for the grand slam. Then again, who am I to deny such a beautiful lady who wants to have a piece of Jack Cooper in the bed? If she wants it, she gets it. But before we go over there, let's have a date first then we go in to some...sexy time fun."

Murrue shivered in pleasure at the way he changed his tone from his normal voice to a deeper, huskier tone. Oh God, she just wanted to die right then and there! This is so damn embarrassing to the point where she just wanted to dig up a hole, crawl in there, and hide there for the rest of her life! The two men chuckled again at the sputtering woman. They wanted to tease her some more before Natarle, who has enough of their goofing around so she steps in to save her superior from more embarrassment.

"Alright, fun time's over. If you two are done with your unproductive and distractive antics, we have other things to worry about. We still have to regard Miss Clyne about her whereabouts so let's head straight to Captain Ramius's office, shall we?"

Jack rolls his eyes at her while Mu shakes his head at her. Figures she would be the one to kill his fun. "Then the annoying buzzkill known as Natarle Badgiruel comes in and destroys our fun. Typical stuck-up military lady with a stick shoved up where the sun don't shine. Mu, what am I gonna do with her?"

The blonde pilot shrugs his shoulders at him playing along with his game. "I dunno to be honest. I try to tell her to lighten up but she clearly doesn't know the words 'relax' and 'fun' Coop. She's just into her work so much that it's hard for me to figure out a way to get her out of it and live a little."

"A shame don't you think?"

Natarle's eye twitched in annoyance. "Don't talk as if I'm not here you two! And quit giving me another annoying nickname Pilot Cooper!"

Cooper rolls his eyes one more time at her. "Whatever you say buzzkill. Let's get this done and over with."

Natarle's head simmers with rage, wanting to choke the hell out of him but she will restrain herself. Ignoring his nickname for her, they accompanied Lacus to Murrue's office. Arriving in her office, Murrue takes a seat at her desk while Lacus sat on the other side. Mu, Jack and Natarle opted to stand up.

"So you're Lacus Clyne, yes?" started Murrue.

"That is correct Miss Ramius."

"Could you be perhaps related to PLANTs Supreme Chairman Siegel Clyne by any chance?"

The pink-haired princess gave her a warm smile. "Why yes, he is indeed my father! Could you perhaps know him by any chance?"

Mu facepalmed himself at the teenager while Murrue and Natarle sighed. Jack did not show any sort of reaction, just taking it in. Before the captain can start again, Natarle heard some mumbling over at the other side. Approaching the door, she opened it revealing Jackie, Chandra, Sai, Kuzzey, Tolle, and surprisingly Kira, leaning over to listen in on the conversation.

Of course, Natarle is not so happy by any means so she yelled at them like a good officer. "Are you done with the unloading process yet?!"

All of them shook their heads at the angry woman, scared out of their wits.

"Then get back to work! If I see you here again, I wouldn't hesitate to place you in latrine duty for the next month and a half!"

Oh God, not latrine duty! Anything but that! That is the most feared duty a soldier could ever do in the army! The scared crew members scurried away as if the devil is chasing after them. Taking a sigh, she closes the door before coming back to the topic at hand.

"Deeply apologize for that. Apparently, we have some no-good eavesdroppers slacking in their job to figure out what we are trying to discuss."

"It's alright. Now back to our conversation. I couldn't help but wonder why a prominent person such as yourself end up being stranded in a dangerous location such as the Debris Belt? Shouldn't you be back home or something of the like?"

She responded to Murrue's question. "As you know, I was here for a preliminary examination prior to a memorial visit to Junius Seven. Our ship came across another one belonging to the Earth Alliance. They boarded ours to do an inspection. Seeing no harm in it, I allowed them to look at every angle of the ship to make sure we didn't harbor any sort of illegal weapon on board."

Lacus looks down on the pink Haro, who she names Mister Pink, nestled on her lap. "Though it seems that our visit to Junius Seven made the Earth Forces personnel upset. What went from a minor quarrel ballooned to a major heated argument between the local representatives and the soldiers on board. The next thing I knew, I was shoved into a pod so that I could escape."

Murrue felt a sense of pity for the girl to experience something so horrible. "That's terrible."

"So what happened to your ship?" asked Mu. This time, Jack answered it for him.

"Hate to break it down to you but the ship you were is reduced to a smoldering You're the only survivor of the delegation crew, Lacus."

The pink-haired songstress looked down on Mister Pink with a remorseful look on her face. "Are you sure about it, Jack?"

"Positive."

"I see…Thanks for telling this to me, Jack."

He places a comforting hand on her shoulder making her smile in appreciation for the support he is giving her. "If you need anybody to assist, just ask and we'll help you out okay?"

"I'll keep that in mind."

Murrue, already getting what she needed, decided to give Lacus her own room. "Well, I guess we'll call this meeting over. Jack if you may, please escort her to her quarters. I want her to be treated as a guest than a POW. The last thing we need is to have the entire ZAFT army gunning after us if a single hair falls out of her head. After that, you can do whatever you want until the next engagement."

Giving her a salute, Jack escorted Lacus to her own quarters. Once the two are no longer in sight, they went up to the _Archangel_ 's bridge to discuss their next course of action now that they have Chairman Clyne's daughter on board the ship.

* * *

"Here you go Lacus. This'll be your room for the meantime. I know it's not really great but it's what we have for the time being."

Lacus, however, did not seem to mind about the small space. She did expect a smaller and spartan room since this is a military vessel but for just one person such as herself, this is not so bad. If anything, it is quite accommodating.

"Oh there's no need to apologize Jack. This will suit me nicely. Once again, I just want to say thank you for rescuing me when I was stranded in the Debris Belt. If you weren't able to catch my distress signal, who knows what sort of dangers might happen to me out there. If there's anything I can do to repay you, please do say so."

The man waves her off on the reward part. "Ah there's no need for that kiddo. Just doing my job. As I mentioned before, I'm not part of the Earth Forces, just a private contractor so in all fairness, I'm not constricted to a lot of military protocols and have some degrees of freedom on my part versus the enlisted and volunteer personnel."

"I see but do sate my curiosity, if you wish. Even though you're a private contractor as you say, why did you side with the Earth Forces? There must be a reason for you to join them other than a paycheck, yes?"

"True, I didn't join the crew just for a paycheck. Funny thing though, Lacus, is that I wasn't even hired by them in the first place since I never made some sort of deal in the first place. I met the _Archangel_ 's crew in Heliopolis during the ZAFT raid. I assume you heard about that one, yeah?"

Lacus nods her head at the tragic news detailing Orb's neutral colony's destruction. "Yes, I heard about it though the media placed the blame on Orb since they're the one who built their mobile suits for the Earth Alliance in the first place. Or that's how they phrased it."

Jack is not so shocked to see the media fabricate the story to make it seem like Orb is in cahoots with Earth Alliance and ZAFT is the one who taught them a lesson for discarding their neutrality.

"Though how they phrased the news strikes something odd for me. The King of Orb, Uzumi Nara Attha, doesn't strike me as the sort of person to make an alliance with the Earth Forces if he is so adamant about keeping his beloved country neutral in the war."

True to Lacus' point, the Lion of Orb does not seem to be the sort of person to be a hypocrite since he is always sticking true to his words and deeds. "True, Mister Attha doesn't seem strike me as a person to side with the EA but I have a feeling there is somebody in office who doesn't share the same ideas as he does compare to the majority who wanted to stay out of the war. Well, theories aside, I don't think I answered your question completely, yes?"

"That is right Jack."

"Well, I joined the crew because they need some people to aid them in battle. At the moment, we only have a skeleton crew running the whole entire warship since the rest of the staff members died in Heliopolis during the raid. Even a couple civilians decided to volunteer and help out in whatever way they can to ensure this ship survives her journey to the next EA base. By then, we hope to get some crew members to help out in the _Archangel_."

A moment of silence filled the air before Lacus asks another question for Jack. "Once this war is over, what do you intend to do with your future?"

The question stopped Cooper in his tracks for a moment. Truth be told, he has no idea what he would do postwar. He wanted to find a way back to the Frontier to help out the Militia in their stride to disrupt the IMC and end the Frontier War for good but at the moment they are stuck here in a different timeline no thanks to the Fold Weapon. Unless somebody created some sort of gate that can return them to their own dimension, they are stuck here.

"To be honest, I have no clue. For now, I'm just focusing on the present situation, trying to make sure everybody aboard this ship is safe from harm. Perhaps after the war, I'd travel around the world, see what each place has to offer or quietly settle down in a nice town. Who knows? The future is unpredictable so I tend to not worry about it."

Before they can continue with the conversation, Kira happens to walk by them. After helping out the crew members unload all the supplies into the _Archangel_ , he is about to head straight to his room to get some rest until he saw Lacus and Jack having a conversation with each other.

"Yo there Kira! You look a bit tired over there." said Jack.

"You can say that. Unloading cargo isn't really hard and difficult since I'm piloting the Strike but it's just time consuming."

"I hear that. Say, since you're done with the cargo stuff, I'll leave you here with Lacus. Strike a conversation with her, get to know her a bit. You know, the usual stuff. She's around the same age group as you are so it's better if she talks with somebody like you than a guy in his thirties. Give her some company because everybody else is busy at the moment. Besides, you don't have anything else better to do so spend some time with her."

Kira started blushing at the aspect of being alone with the Pink Princess of ZAFT. Although he is a bit excited to finally meet the famous songstress in person, he is still nervous. What if he says something that is out of line or ends up making things very awkward between them?! After all, it is not everyday you get to spend some personal time with a recognized celebrity and only child of a political figure.

Then his eyes widened a bit. Could it be that Jack is using this chance to hook him up with her?! Does he not know he is not that great with talking with the ladies?! "W-wait! Hold up! What do you mean by that?!"

"See ya later kid! Have fun and don't act so awkward around her!"

"Wait! Come back…" Jack did not bother to turn back, taking a left corner disappearing from his sights. The brunette teenager sighs which made the pink-haired songstress giggle in amusement.

"Oh my, he is quite an interesting character, isn't he?"

Kira sighs again. "Unfortunately, he is."

She examines the young man in front of her from top to bottom. She cannot place a finger on it but there is just something about him that draws her in. Something that not even Athrun is capable of doing despite the arranged engagement made between her father and his. Taking a deep breath, she decides to strike up a conversation with the young lad.

"So, please tell me about yourself Mister…"

"Ah…Kira. Kira Yamato. T-t-there's no need to call me Mister Yamato." The young man stutters in embarrassment. Lacus finds his flustered face to be rather cute. His innocent behavior is also quite endearing as well.

"Alright then, Kira. Please tell me all about yourself."

* * *

Back in the _Archangel_ 's bridge, Mu floats by Murrue's chair, albeit lazily before taking up his usual spot.

"Oh boy looks like we're not getting a break after all. We now solved our current water supply and maintenance issues but we just picked up another delicate issue in the form of a pink-haired princess. We're destined to pick up one problem after another, isn't it, Miss Captain? So, then, what's the plan?"

Murrue just gave him a flat look from his sarcastic comment despite it being true. "I guess we don't have much of a choice but to take Miss Clyne with us to the lunar headquarters."

Natarle floats up from the Combat Intelligence Center post of the _Archangel_. "We don't have anymore civilian stops to make on the way right, Captain Ramius?"

"No but if we take her to a military base…she'd be…"

"Welcomed with open arms since she is Chairman Clyne's little girl. Let's be real here, the high brass is gonna use her as a political hostage instead of a well-treated guest. Next thing you know, you have an angry ZAFT army ready to tear the base to pieces if a single hair falls out from her head. Yeah we're definitely not in big trouble alright." Mu finished in a sarcastic manner.

The captain frowned at such a disgusting notion of her, a sweet girl, being used as a political hostage by the higher-ups in command. From what she can tell by the short meeting with her, she is a sweet and nice lady. "I hope she doesn't have to go through any of that. If possible..."

Romero finds something rather interesting on the screen of his computer. " _Huh? What the hell is going on over here?_ " Placing his headset on, he starts typing on the keyboard to decipher the frequency as best he could. "Arc…gel. This…is…gomery. A…gel…do you…read…"

Taking the headset off, he reports to the captain about what he just found. "Ma'am, we have an incoming transmission feed from a nearby ally."

"From who?"

Typing some more to clear up the coded frequency, he reports back. "Verifying…it's the Eighth Orbital Fleet!"

A very heavy sense of relief swims through her entire being at the good news. The same can be said for the others on the bridge. "That's Admiral Halberton's unit! Patch him through!"

Typing some codes in the computer, he patches the transmission signal to the _Archangel_. " _Archangel_ , this is the _Montgomery_. We're the advance fleet sent to rendezvous with and escort you to the Eighth Fleet. Please respond."

Everybody erupted in cheers at the joyous news. It seems that Lady Luck deems them worthy to receive a lucky break.

* * *

While it may be all cheers and smiles on the _Archangel_ 's bridge, the cafeteria seems to be a different story. After having a nice, friendly conversation with Kira, Lacus left her room to grab something to eat and drink. Walking around the barracks section she is able to find the cafeteria where she finds Kira, Flay, Kuzzey, and Miriallia having some lunch together. Jack opted to sit by himself, checking out a couple things on his TACPAD while he eats his meal.

Looking from the corner of his eye, he spots Lacus standing at the doorway with Mister Pink accompanying her. "Yo there Lacus. Need something?"

Everybody looks up to see said young lady who is smiling warmly at Cooper. "Pardon me for interrupting, but would this be considered the dining room? If so, I'd be grateful to have a bite and a drink."

Cooper accompanied her before handing her a tray to pick her meal. "Sure thing. Here's a selection of what we have at the moment but you can pick whatever you want and is free of charge. No need to pay whatsoever."

As he waits for her to grab what she wants to eat, he instantly hears Flay making some snide remarks. "Why is someone from ZAFT allowed to walk around without permission? This is insane!"

Cooper instantly pinches the bridge of his nose in irritation at the brat while Lacus heard her remark. "But I had no intention of going without permission. So I called out to my room asking if I can leave but nobody is responding to my call."

Jack blinked twice before he looks over to her. "Wait, nobody was around the hallways?"

She shook her head. "No. I called out three times but nobody answered it so I decided to come out of my room and grab something to eat and drink."

"Huh. Looks like everybody is busy."

Lacus giggles at him before regarding the cherry-haired girl. "Besides, I don't belong to ZAFT. ZAFT is the name of the military force since it stands for Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty."

"You think I care about what it stands for?! It makes no difference at all since you're just a Coordinator!"

Cooper was about to yell at her for her unprecedented behavior but the pink-haired songstress does not seem to be perturbed by it. "It's different. Sure, I may be a Coordinator but I don't belong to the military. You also don't belong to the military either since you're also a civilian. In all essence, you and I are the same."

Jack gives a small smile at that. Sure, call it naivety on her part for saying such a statement but in all essence, she is correct. Flay, from what he heard, is the daughter of George Allster who is a government official on the Atlantic Federation. She is in the same status as Lacus who is also the daughter of Chairman Clyne. Flay is considered a civilian since she did not volunteer to serve in the Earth Forces which just proves Lacus' correct statement.

The pink-haired songstress's innocent blue eyes widen in realization when she did not introduce herself to Flay. "Oh my! Pardon my manners I haven't introduced myself. My name is-"

"You think I care what the hell your name is! You're nothing more than a Coordinator that will do nothing but kill us all!"

SMACK! Everybody looked to Cooper in stunned silence as he slapped the cherry-haired girl right on the cheek. You can see a large, angry red imprint of his hand plastered on her skin. They even swore his warm, friendly brown eyes instantly turned to a vicious blood-red color that can freeze anybody's blood on the spot. It can freeze hell right on the spot if it is even possible.

"Out of line right there Flay!" yelled Cooper which made them shiver in fright. To see the easy-going and friendly man turn into a vicious, angry bear ready to maul some poor bastard is completely frightening. Downright scary almost. It is as if they are dealing with a completely different person altogether.

Even the cafeteria's room temperature went down a couple degrees which added more to his already scary demeanor.

Granted they were hoping to never experience something this frightening again after the Artemis Incident but the cherry-haired girl just had to stir up the hornet's nest in the Militia pilot.

"B-but-" Flay tried to reason with him but Cooper is not having any of her crap.

"Don't give me that lip girl! What you did is out of line so save whatever petty excuse you have because I don't want to hear it! Get me you damn brat?!"

Flay did not say anything which made Cooper angrier at her. "I SAID DO YOU GET ME YOU DAMN BRAT?! ANSWER ME GODDAMIT!"

"Y-yes! Yes I get it! I get it!""

Satisfied, he takes a few deep breaths to calm his simmering rage. "Normally I wouldn't hit a kid since I would leave disciplinary actions to the parents but it looks like you hadn't had a good disciplinary whooping when you were younger. So now I'm going to be the parent and give it to you! Now that I'm calmed down, let's get something straight here. If you don't like the enemy force in a war, then be my guest. Hate them all you want but don't lash it out on the civilians who make up said forces!"

He points his thumb at Lacus. "Miss Clyne is a kind and sweet girl who has done nothing wrong to antagonize you. She just wanted to talk to you and everybody around here in a civilized manner, yet what did you do? You lashed out on her with your damn racist tone and berate her over something that's beyond her control. You're nothing more than a bully and I don't think anybody here likes such people. Am I right?"

Everybody nods their head at the man not wanting to ignite his scary anger on them.

"See? Now I suggest you apologize to her and be sincere about it. I'll know when you're lying so don't try any sort of funny business while I'm here."

Flay looked at him as if he is insane. She would rather die than apologize to a Coordinator like Lacus! She is part of the enemy after all so why should she say sorry to her!? Seeing the stubbornness of the spoiled brat, he narrowed his eyes dangerously at her.

"What did I say before Flay Allster? I said apologize to her NOW!"

Flinching at his voice, she begrudgingly apologizes to her. "I'm sorry for what I said earlier. It was out of line for me to do so when you have been nothing but a kind person. Please accept my apology."

The pink songstress gave her a warm smile. She is not one to hold grudges since it is not within her nature to do so. "Oh don't worry about it. Apology accepted."

Deciding she was a bit sincere at the moment, he picks up Lacus's tray from the bar with her meal and drink on it. "With the situation out of the way, I'm sure you're hungry so let's head back to your room. Kira, would you like to accompany us?"

"Sure thing."

The two left the cafeteria as they head back to her quarters. As they reached her room, Cooper apologized to Lacus for having her witness his explosive anger. "Sorry for putting up a scary display over there. I understand if you're scared of me but the way Flay treated you is out of line so I had to make sure she got some discipline that she should've gotten from her parents."

"Oh you have nothing to apologize Jack. I have to admit, your anger was a bit overboard but I understand your motives behind your actions."

"Again, sorry for that. I must've inherited that explosive anger from my pops since he tends to be scary when he gets mad."

Kira could not help but be curious at that. "Just how scary is your father when he's mad?"

"To be honest, take the anger display I showed only ten times worse. Luckily, I didn't go full ham or else she would've gotten a disciplinary whoopin' like how my pops did when I did something that I shouldn't do. Thankfully, I didn't have a belt in hand or I would've used it on her."

The two sweatdropped at his remark. Kira now wished he never asked the question because it created an awkward atmosphere around them. Awkward moment aside, Lacus seems a bit depressed at the aspect of eating her lunch by herself instead of eating a meal with everybody around her.

"Must I stay in this room again?"

Kira and Jack looked at her with the former feeling a bit sad for the pink songstress. She definitely did not deserve to be treated in such a manner but thanks to Flay's unneeded actions, it is better if she stayed in her quarters for the time being.

"Yes…you'll have to stay in your room for the time being. Not after what transpired a moment ago."

She pouted, which Kira found it to be rather cute. "That's just no fun at all. I'd rather enjoy a meal with everybody than eat it by myself."

"Believe me, we'd do anything to make sure you'd have some company for you to enjoy your lunch with, but at the moment I'm afraid it wouldn't be possible." said Jack.

"Why's that the case, Mister Cooper?"

Ignoring the Mister Cooper remark, he explains to her about the situation regarding the ship. "This ship belongs to the Earth Alliance and from what I've seen, EA people don't hold Coordinators with some high regards. Be it be soldier or civilian. Simply put, the two sides are enemies."

Kira wished it was not true but the facts are hard to deny. When he first boarded the Archangel, Earth Forces soldiers aimed their weapons at him. Next is the incident at Artemis with General Garcia calling him a traitor to his kind while viewing him as a tool for him to use at his disposal. Despite him being a civilian of Orb, they still have some distrust on the lad for being a Coordinator.

"A shame don't you think?"

Jack agrees with her on that one. "Quite dumb to be honest. I told one person this and I'll say it again, you don't need modify your genes just so you can be better than somebody else. You either have the talent or you practice a skill to the point where you can perfect it. Pardon me for saying this, but to ignite a war over genetics is nothing more than total bullshit if you ask me. This war got ignited because of jealously and fear of what they can't accept if you ask me."

He takes a sigh before placing a hand on his cheek while leaning on it. "Then again, we as a human species tend to wage war over the dumbest of things so I'm not so surprised to see something like this take place."

Lacus smiled at the older man. Despite the crass way he placed it, he is on the nose about the pettiness of this war waged over just because of gene alteration. "Still, you two have been kind to me. For that I am thankful."

"No problem kiddo. Besides, I'm not gonna stand around while somebody bullies you when you didn't do anything to deserve it."

"Thank you. Pardon me for asking this but would both of you perhaps give me some company?"

Seeing no harm in it, the two agreed to stay in her room which Lacus smiled happily.

"Thank you. Although Kira and I are well acquainted, I want to know more about you such as your likes, dislikes, hobbies, and other stories that you don't mind sharing with us."

"Alrighty then. Hmm…where to start…where to start…"

* * *

On the other side of space, the _Vesalius_ along with a second Nazca-class named the _Brandt_ carrying the Harken Team, are enroute to pursue the legged ship. In the _Vesalius_ 's bridge, one crewman spots a couple heat signatures around on his radar.

"Captain Ades! Five signatures are spotted on the radar! All of them appear to belong to the Earth Alliance."

Before the ship captain can say anything, Rau stops by his chair. "What seems to be the matter Ades?"

"We detected a few naval ship signatures. We assumed those ships to be naval vessels of the Earth Forces. Five of them to be exact."

The news surprised Rau a bit. "Peculiar isn't it? This is certainly an unusual trait for the Earth Forces to do. What could they possibly be thinking by sending them this far out in space?"

Rau headed back to the holographic table where he is looking at the different routes they can use to flank the advanced fleet and the _Archangel_. "If the legged ship was planning to go from Artemis to the EA's lunar headquarters, what would they be doing?"

"Perhaps those naval ships are there to rendezvous with the target." said Ades, meeting him right at the holographic display.

"If that were the case, then they're probably a small part of a much larger force. An advanced fleet per say. Has the legged ship noticed our position?"

The man shakes his head at him. "Negative. They haven't caught on to us yet."

"Excellent. We can use this to ambush both of them and take them out before they're used in anymore operations. What's the status of the Laconi Team?"

Ades shakes his head in frustration at the last team. "Way behind schedule sir. They haven't launched from the PLANTs since they forgot to pack some supplies on their ship."

If Rau was frustrated by the team's tardiness, he did not show it. "It'd be pointless to be angry over trivial matters. If the Laconi Team needs some time to resupply or do whatever maintenance checks they need to do, so be it. Besides, we can make due with two teams, especially with the Harken Team involved in the fight."

"The Harken Team sir? I don't think I understand what you mean by that. What's so special about them?" The man gives him a tiny grin as he begins to explain to him their rather tremendous prowess on the battlefield.

"Glad that you asked Ades. As you know, Captain Hilda and her colleagues, Mars Simeon and Herbert von Reinhardt, are quite an extraordinary force to be reckoned with. During the Grimaldi Front, they were able to take out three Earth Forces ships in a span of a minute with their overwhelming speed and strength. They displayed the same skills during the Battle of Nova. Hence why the Earth Forces called them the Unstoppable Trio."

Ades' eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. To hear a team of three pilots take out three ships within a literal minute is something he cannot wrap his mind around. Perhaps they can continue with the mission without the Laconi Team involved since the Unstoppable Trio can easily make short work of the advance fleet before focusing their attention on the legged ship and their mobile suits.

"Well that's quite neat and dandy. I guess you're right about it. Should we contact the _Brandt_ to see if their team is ready for their deployment?"

"It's about time we do so." He turns around to appoint one crewman to patch their radio channel to the _Brandt_ 's. "Crewman, patch us through the _Brandt_!"

"Yes sir!" After a minute or two, a video screen popped up on their viewing port window. There, the video screen shows an attractive young woman around twenty-eight years old with short dandelion hair and gray eyes. She is wearing a white commander ZAFT uniform.

"Commander Gladys."

Commander Talia Gladys greets the masked commander from the other side of the communication feed. "Commander Le Creuset."

"Is your team ready to be deployed in this sortie?"

"They are good to go sir. What is our plan of action?"

"It seems that we've stumbled upon some…unexpected guests. They may be here as escorts for the legged ship so it would be wise for us to eliminate them in the process."

"Planning to bait the _Archangel_ by attacking these naval escorts? I suppose our mission to rescue Miss Lacus Clyne will have to be postponed for now, yes?"

"Correct Commander Gladys. If those vessels enroute are delivering supplies and relief to the _Archangel_ , then it's all the more urgent to take them out quickly and swiftly. Once they're gone, we can strike them on the spot, eliminating them before they can reach the Earth Alliance's lunar headquarters."

"But what about the Laconi Team? Shouldn't we wait for them to converge on our position? They're supposed to be with us in this sortie."

The man shakes his head at the suggestion. "Negative on that suggestion, Commander Gladys. They are far behind schedule since they needed to do some maintenance checks on their ship before they can leave the PLANTs. If we wait for them, then our chances of eliminating the legged ship will slip from our grasp. Besides, I have full confidence that our teams can easily get the job done without the Laconi Team with us. Especially with your famous unit involved with the fight."

She contemplated on this for a minute before turning her attention to the masked commander. "Very well. I shall debrief my team for a minute before they launch from my ship. With luck, we should be able to accomplish the mission in no time."

"That's right but tread carefully on this one. The ship isn't the only threat we have to worry about. You have to take into consideration the famous Hawk of Endymion, the Strike's pilot and the CGUE's pilot. As for your objectives, your team should focus on taking out the advanced fleet while the Porto Team led by Lieutenant Zala will handle the legged ship. Since your team is set and ready to go, I'll let you have the honors in letting them take the reins. After all, I am rather eager to see the famed Unstoppable Trio in action."

"Very well. We'll take your advice to heart, Commander Le Creuset. Commander Gladys out." Talia ended the line leaving Rau to turn his attention to Ades.

"Ades, get Athrun along with the pilots of the Porto Team over here in the bridge. I'll need to give them a debrief before they're sent out to aid the Harken Team."

"Yes sir!"

* * *

In the _Brandt_ 's bridge Hilda Harken, the leader of the team, showed up on the bridge via elevator lift to meet with Talia debrief. She has orange hair stopping to her shoulders along with an eyepatch covering her right eye. She is dressed in her custom purple and black pilot suit with her helmet having small yellow spikes on top.

Talia turned around to see her comrade and friend in the up in the bridge. The redcoat soldier salutes before her. "Commander Gladys!"

She returns the gesture to her. "At ease."

Lowering her salute, she regards to her superior officer about the upcoming sortie they are about to take. "Ma'am, is this about the legged ship?"

Commander Gladys shakes her head before showing her the possible routes in the digital map display. "No. Your target is the advance fleet sent in to aid the legged ship known as the _Archangel_. Our focus is to grab their attention by taking out the naval escort. If our attack succeeds, we move in and finish them off."

Hilda frowns in disappointment at the order she is given. She prefers to take her team straight in the fight taking on the big guy. Not be a distraction maker dammit! She leaves that to the grunts. "And who's the smart guy who decided we're suited for this job?"

"Commander Le Creuset."

The commander had to resist herself from snickering as she watches her friend have a giant tick mark plastered on her forehead. It is no secret to everybody aboard the _Brandt_ that the fierce, and aggressive orangette elite pilot hates the masked commander with all her guts. In fact, she never hid her opinion of the White Lightning, calling him a "masked motherfucker" along with other…nicknames that are probably not appropriate for me to even write in this story.

Despite her open hatred towards the masked commander, Hilda and Talia do share one thing in common. Their wary suspicion of the Rau. No matter how you dice it, there is something…off about the man. They cannot place a finger in it but whenever they would converse with the masked commander, there seems to be a sinister air around him. The hairs on the back of their necks would stand whenever he would display his smile to them.

Whatever the case may be, they do not trust him and will keep a close eye on him.

"Look, I know you don't like Commander Le Creuset but he's the one in charge of this sortie."

Hilda sighed at her point. "I know. Still, doesn't mean I like it."

"I understand but for now bear with it. On the bright side, you'll probably get your chance to take on the _Archangel_ and their mobile suits sooner than you'd expect."

"You always look on the positive side of things, Talia. That's the one thing I like about you. Very well. I'll bear with it for now but if he irritates me any further, I won't promise anything. What about our mission in finding Miss Clyne?"

"That'll be put on hold for now. If all goes well with the mission, then we can pursue on with our secondary objective."

"Very well. I'll be heading down to the hangar to get my team ready."

The orangette gave her a salute which she returns back before leaving the bridge. Arriving in the hangar, she got inside her custom black and purple ZGMF-1017M GINN High Maneuver Type with the number "003" painted on it while Herbert and Mars got in their respective units. Herbert's unit has "004" while Mars' unit has "009". All three units are equipped with the JDP2-MMX22 27mm assault rifle and broadsword.

Behind them are about three GINNs equipped with D-equipment.

"Everything ready to go boys?"

Herbert gave her a lazy salute. "Sure thing boss."

Mars gives the green light signal to her. "Just got done with the calibrations. So what's the game plan boss?"

"Our objective is to take out the advanced fleet coming in to aid the legged ship. If we're lucky, they should take the bait which will allow the masked bastard's team to take the legged ship on. We might even have a chance to engage the big target on the field."

The blue-haired pilot shrugs his shoulders at her in a nonchalant manner. "That shouldn't be too much of a problem."

"Like Herbert said, we'll be done with them before they know it. Besides, I wanna know what's the hubbub about this specific warship and their mobile suits. Most especially the custom CGUE unit on board the EA cruiser! That's a fight I'm eager to look forward to."

Hilda, however, warns her rather excited teammate about the mobile suits. "I'd be careful if I were you, Mars. Those machines aren't your average units. One of them is a prototype installed with an armor system that can take on bullets without sustaining any damage. The custom CGUE unit, on the other hand, trashed the captured prototypes with barely a scratch inflicted on the suit's frame. Stay alert."

The catapult opened up with Hilda being the first to step up. Once clearance is given, Hilda took off with Herbert, Mars, and the three GINNs following suit. Now that they are out of the ship, Earth Alliance vessel signatures have been detected on their radars.

"That's our target boys! Let's show them how the Harken Team does business in the battlefield!"

The six got together in formation as they make a beeline right to the advance fleet. Hopefully, the enemy will take the bait which will make their job easier from here on out. Only time will tell.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Alrighty, time to end it right there folks. With the chapter out of the way, let us begin talking a few things about the chapter itself.**

 **Towards the end, I decided to introduce some of the Gundam SEED Destiny characters such as Hilda, Herbert, Mars, and Talia into the first season. Although they appeared in the Second Bloody Valentine War, I am definitely sure they served in this war hence why I decided to introduce them in this chapter.**

 **As for the Harken Team mobile suits, I went with the GINN High Type Maneuver. It is basically a green GINN with improved thrusters to enhance the unit's mobility around space. If you do not know what it looks like, just Google the mobile suit model and you can see a few photos of them online.**

 **And I am sure every one of you readers out there are probably gonna love the disciplinary actions Cooper took to correct Flay harassing Lacus Clyne. Let us face it folks, Flay should have seen it coming from a mile away the moment she starts being a bully to Lacus in front of Cooper. As the Militia pilot mentions, she should have gotten a whooping from her dad but unfortunately she did not so now he has to be the parent. Sure, he does not have to be the so-called parent but when it concerns our resident cherry-haired girl, you just have to be it. Maybe out of character for Cooper for his part but remember folks, when you are angry, normal composure is out the window.**

 **The same can be said for him teasing Murrue in the chapter. Since I am pairing these two in the story, I may as well have some banter between them to develop the relationship.**

 **Speaking of relationships, one of my reviewers told me not to pair Jack with Lacus. Obviously I would not because of the large age gap between them so why would I even pair them in the first place? That would make him look like a creep and I highly doubt we would like to see such a pairing made in the first place. LOL. But antics aside, I am going to pair Lacus with Kira since she is a good compliment for the boy.**

 **Now, if we are talking about a relationship between Cooper and Lacus, you can say they have a big brother-little sister deal or a father-daughter one. I am still working on other pairings that can be made in the near future. Both unlikely and likely ones.**

 **Anyways, that is all I have for now so if you like this story, please say so in the review section but also make sure you give me your constructive criticism in there too. No flames because if you do end up flaming me, I will roast you like human barbecue. Or might use them for roasting some nice beef and steak.**

 **Catch you guys in the next chapter!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

 **A/N:**

 **Welcome to another chapter of** _ **Mobile Suit Titan SEED**_ **! I know the last chapter did not have a ton of action, mostly just dialogue and a couple other expositions but we will be heading straight to some action!**

 **Right now, the Harken Team led by Captain Hilda Harken, launched from the** _ **Brandt**_ **and are heading straight to the advanced fleet to lure in the** _ **Archangel**_ **for the bait in hopes that they will actually take it allowing the _Vesalius_ and her team to take out the big target. So now we will see how the entire thing unfolds for the **_**Archangel**_ **and her crew.**

 **With that said, let us get right into the chapter, shall we?**

 **Legend:**

 **Hello – BT-7274 Speaking**

 _ **Hello**_ **– Thoughts, or flashback.**

 **Hello** **– Radio communications, news media outlet.**

 **Disclaimer: Titanfall belongs to Respawn Entertainment while Gundam SEED belongs to Sunrise and directed by Mitsudo Fukuda.**

* * *

 _Jack Davidson Cooper's Log Book 2.2_

 _Things have been…interesting to say the least. Apparently, the pod I picked up from the Debris Belt is from Mr. Clyne's daughter, Lacus Clyne. From what I looked up in the internet, Lacus is quite a popular figure. A songstress with quite a number of album hits and an inspirational figure for the rest of the civilians in PLANTs._

 _With her on board the Archangel, we have to make sure she's treated well since she's after all, the Chairman's daughter. Not a problem since she's a sweet, kind and friendly girl who treated everybody with respect regardless if they're Coordinator or Natural._

 _Of course, Flay had to rudely hound on her because she's a Coordinator and treated her as if she's some sort of demon hellbent on killing us and stealing our souls. Tch, she ain't gonna be hounding on her when I'm around because I gave her some hard-earned discipline. She definitely earned the hard smack I gave her because she's acting out of line at Lacus who didn't do anything to antagonize her._

 _Mark my words folks, one of these days, her racist and spoiled attitude will ostracize her from her friends. If she doesn't learn to curb it, then either I will or she's out of friends._

 _Luckily, we've been able to come into contact with the 8_ _th_ _Orbital Fleet as they are sending in an advance fleet to rendezvous with us but that's about it. The civilians breathed a sigh of relief, wanting nothing more than to get off this ship and live in Orb. Can't really blame them since they didn't want to be around a lot of dangerous fights and are getting tired of military regulations since they considered it to be "too restrictive"._

 _Well either way, they wanted off this ship and head back to Orb where they want to live the rest of their lives in peace. The only thing we need to do now is to reach Lunar HQ and go from there. Though, knowing our luck, we might end up facing some persistent ZAFT teams before we can even reach said headquarters._

 _Jack Cooper, Pilot of BT-7274, 41st Militia Rifle Battalion._

* * *

In the _Vesalius_ , Athrun and the rest of the Porto Team pilots are being debriefed by their superior officer over at the holographic display. A digital screen showcases them the estimated route of the Earth Forces advance fleet vessels and the _Archangel_ 's position.

"As you can see here in the display shown before you, this is the estimated route of the Earth Forces' advance fleet. The Laconi Team, unfortunately, is behind schedule but with the famed Harken Team with us, we should be able to take care of business right here."

Athrun and the rest of the pilots looked surprised at the mention of the famed Unstoppable Trio assisting them in this mission. "Wait, Commander Le Creuset. Are you saying that the Unstoppable Trio is here to assist us on this mission? Is it the same unit we've been hearing about that achieved impossible feats during the opening stages of the war?" asked Athrun.

Rau nods at his trusty lieutenant subordinate. "Why yes it is Athrun. We are talking about the same Harken Team after all. Why do you ask?"

"Um…just wondering really. At first, I was in disbelief when you mentioned them since I never knew if we're talking about the same unit led by Captain Harken sir. It's kinda unbelievable to have the privilege of serving beside them sir. I guess you can say, it's sort of a dream to serve next to an elite unit in this sortie."

The masked commander chuckles warmly at the lieutenant. "No need to be embarrassed. Even I was surprised when I first heard them wanting to join us in this mission back in Aprilius One. Kind of a shocker really but I am fortunate to have the pleasure of serving besides them. Now back on the display at hand."

He points them the digital yellow route of the naval escorts coming to aid the _Archangel_. "As I mentioned before, this is the estimated route of the Earth Forces' advance fleet. If those vessels are delivering supplies to the legged ship, we mustn't over look them."

"So we're gonna be taking them on, sir?" asked one of the Porto Team pilots.

"I left that task to the Harken Team since they're already out there as we speak. What you will be doing is attack the legged ship as we lure them into battle. With luck, the distraction set up by Captain Harken and her team will do the job for us. Some of your GINNs will be equipped with D-equipment to damage the ship's tough armor system while the others will be equipped with the standard armaments to face off any mobile armors that would assist the legged ship. Any questions?"

Another pilot raised his hand. "When do we leave sir?"

"In five minutes. Get yourself suited up and ready for the sortie."

The green coat pilots saluted to Rau before leaving the bridge, leaving Athrun with him. "Sir, what about the rescue mission for Lacus? Shouldn't that be our top priority? After all, she is a political figure in our society, whether she's in office or not."

"We're soldiers Athrun. Even though our mission priority is to search for Miss Clyne, we cannot avoid the golden opportunity presented before us. If we succeed in this sortie, then we'll continue our search for her. For now, we must focus on the important target which is the legged ship and her mobile suits."

Despite wanting to protest about this, he has no other choice but to obey his superior officer. Deciding that arguing will not solve anything, he salutes to his officer before heading to elevator lift where he will get himself suited up for the mission.

* * *

Within space, Hilda and her team approached the five Earth Forces ships heading straight to the _Archangel_ 's position. Knowing the usual drill, she patched her channels to the rest of her squad. "You know the drill folks! Pick your targets, take them out and fall back to the ship! With luck, we should be able to lure the _Archangel_ in the fight for the Porto Team to get into position."

"Yeah, we'll be distracting them alright as we take out those pesky Moebius armors all day long. Seriously, this isn't even fun anymore. I say we take this slow and steady since we totally outclass them in every way, shape or form. I wanna fight the legged ship's mobile suits!" complained Mars.

Herbert rolls his eyes at his teammate. "So you say, Mars, but you know how those Moebius armor pilots get when they feel when we're just toying them."

"They tend to pack a punch! Hahaha!"

The rest of the pilots just sweatdropped at their antics while Hilda's eyes twitched in annoyance. "Argh, if you two are done horsing around like a bunch of hooligans, then let's focus on the job at hand!"

Making a beeline to the ship, they immediately split off as they engage the five Earth Forces ships. No sooner than five seconds, the ships begin to fire at them with their cannons, railguns, and machine gun turrets while they deploy their Moebius armors to engage the enemy.

* * *

Back in the Archangel, Romero Pal spots a couple signatures on the radar, prompting him to report it to Murrue. "Silhouettes of five ships appearing on long-range sensors! Signals belonging to the _Bernard_ , _Montgomery_ , _Law_ , _Trafalgar_ and _Wilson_!"

Everybody seems to be happy about the news but as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end after all. "Wait a minute. I'm detecting high levels of N-Jammer interference! It's interfering with the entire area!"

All of the crew members on the bridge looked at Romero in stunned silence. No sooner than a second later, Chandra spotted two ship signatures on his radar. "Hold up! The heat distribution we're detecting ahead looks like a battle! Sending the visual now."

Displaying the visual on the viewing window of the _Archangel_ 's bridge for everybody to see. "Looks like it's involved with the advance fleet up ahead."

Already, Jackie received a notice from the _Montgomery_. "Ma'am! We have a message coming from the _Montgomery_! Message reads: Cancelling rendezvous! The _Archangel_ is to turn around and leave the battlefield immediately. Find the fleet on your own. Don't provide us with aid as we'll cover your retreat from here."

"What's the overall strength of the enemy forces?" asked Murrue.

Homing in on the enemy signal, Chandra immediately spots two enemy signatures on his screen. "I'm detecting two ZAFT vessels approaching the vicinity! Two Nazca-class ships, the _Brandt_ and the _Vesalius_! Three GINN High Maneuver Types along with three ordinary GINNs equipped with D-equipment are making a beeline to the advance fleet. I'm also detecting signatures from the _Vesalius_ deploying their own units along with the Aegis into the fray!"

The moment they heard the _Brandt_ and the GINN High Maneuver Type units in battle, everybody's blood froze in their bodies. If the _Brandt_ is here with the _Vesalius_ aiding the Le Creuset Team, that can only mean one thing.

"That means the infamous Harken Team is here!"

Natarle looked at her superior with wide eyes. "Are you sure about that, Captain Ramius? Are you sure that _the_ ZAFT's Harken Team is here on the battlefield?"

Despite not wanting to believe it, she cannot deny the fact that their presence is indeed here in this battlefield. "Yes. I've heard stories about the Harken Team taking out allied three ships within a minute in the Grimaldi Front thanks to their lightning speed, attacking vital points on a vessel before moving on to the next one. They displayed the same speed tactics in the Battle of Nova. Simply put, they're not a force to be trifled with."

Everybody grimaced at hearing the tale of such a unit being capable of performing such feats of combat. To be able to take out three naval ships within a minute is downright scary. Frightening to even think about it.

"Ma'am. What are your orders?" asked Natarle.

Murrue looked down for a minute before addressing everybody on the bridge. "There's no guarantee we'd get away from the battlefield, even if we did turn around and leave. Not with the Harken and Le Creuset Teams setting their sights on us. Ignore the order from the _Montgomery_ and head in for level one battle stations! We'll provide aid for the advance fleet."

As the alarms blared throughout the entire _Archangel_ , Kira and Jack ran out of their quarters as they make their way to the pilot room of the warship.

"Man these ZAFT guys sure love to rain down on our luck. Just as we're about to get some aid from some friendly EA guys, they decided to give us a big 'fuck you' and attack us on the spot. Man they're masters at popping up on the wrong time." comments Cooper.

Kira slightly sweatdrops at his comment. "Ehehehe…I guess so?"

As they run through the hallway, both pilots spotted Lacus's doors open, much to their surprise. How the hell is it possible for her to be able to know the code when she is not even an enlisted Earth Forces personnel? Last time Jack talked to Lacus, he did not hear Kira tell her the code nor he telling her in their conversation.

" _Did somebody else around the ship give her the code while we weren't paying attention? If so, then who? Highly doubt its Flay since she'd go on a rampage talking about how Coordinators are monsters who are capable of killing people without a moment's notice or some bullshit like that. Can't be Sai or Mir since they're busy with their duties. Same can be said for Tolle or Kuzzey. But if nobody is around here at all, other than a civie, then how was she able to get them in the first place?_ "

Speaking of the pink-haired songstress, Lacus poked her head out of the door with Mister Pink bouncing around with its pink wings. "Oh my, things are certain getting livelier around here. What seems to be the commotion?"

"Well Lacus, we're heading back to the frontlines again. You know, just another typical day on the job."

"Battle stations? Oh my. Are you both entering into the battlefield?"

Cooper grins as he places an arm over Kira's shoulders. "Got that right. Or we're already in one. Regardless, we'll be heading straight into meat grinder and see if we can push the enemy back if we can." He then looks over to Kira. "Kid, I'll be going ahead to get myself suited up but you better hurry, alright?"

"S-sure thing Jack."

"Excellent! Oh and make sure you don't dilly dally for too long. Kissing your would-be girlfriend isn't gonna fly around here if you're late to the party! Save that stuff for post-fighting okay?"

Kira's face went red at that statement while Lacus giggles. Jack immediately took off heading straight to the pilot room. Shaking his embarrassment off him, he looks over to Lacus who is giving him an inquisitive look on her face.

"Will you be fighting as well, Kira?"

"Yeah. I have to. In any case, please don't leave your room at this time. The soldiers aboard this ship might think of you as a spy. Make sure of it, okay?"

Kira immediately dashes off to the pilot room to get himself suited up. As his image begins to get smaller and smaller, Lacus picks up Mister Pink in the palm of her hands before taking themselves back to their room.

In the hangar area, Cooper and Kira got in their respective units with the latter arriving a bit late on time. Mu already left the hangar in his newly repaired Moebius Zero to sort out the messy situation that is taking place in space. Seeing the kid get in his machine from his cockpit, he immediately uses this opportunity to tease him. "You're late son. Let me take a guess, you were busy making out with Lacus eh?"

"N-n-no way Cooper! W-w-w-we didn't k-k-k-kiss or anything for that matter! I don't know what you're trying to insinuate!"

The Militia pilot makes some "tsk" noises while wagging his finger like a parent would do when correcting their child. "Doesn't sound like a denial to me kid! What did I tell you about kissing you girlfriend isn't a viable excuse to be late for the party?!"

"T-to never use it. But I didn't even kiss her…"

Cooper takes a melodramatic sigh at the young lad. "Oh Kira, you'll be the death of me someday. I just know it!" Taking about five seconds he begins to laugh at the poor teen's expense.

"You teased me, didn't you?!" accused Kira making the man even laugh at him even more. Oh it is just so much fun to tease the poor teen who is so gullible to falling for his teasing traps. Before he can go on to tease the kid some more, Miriallia's face appears on their video feed.

"Kira, Jack, the advance fleet is being attacked by ZAFT forces. Despite being ordered to turn and leave the combat area, Captain Ramius decides to give our allies some aid to stave off the ZAFT attack."

"Is that so Mir? What's size of the enemy forces right now?" asked Jack, seeing the mechanics finish arming up BT for the fight, equipping him with the modified anti-aircraft shotgun, broadsword, and vulcan shield.

"The enemy class consists of two Nazca-class ships, the _Vesalius_ and the _Brandt_ along with a handful of mobile suits with estimates to about a dozen or more. Added to the list is the stolen machine known as the Aegis."

"Huh, no pressure."

Miriallia, however, warns Cooper about the incoming ZAFT High Type Maneuvers. "Despite what you may think, one of the enemy teams has three experiment GINN units known as the ZGMF-1017M High Maneuver Type. These units are faster than the average GINN unit so please do tread with caution if you do end up engaging them in the process."

"Don't worry about it Mir, I've faced way worse opponents in my time. I'm not trying to sound arrogant or anything but I don't think I'll be having any problems with them. We'll be fine."

Murrue's face then appeared on the secondary screens of the cockpit. "Pilots Cooper and Yamato, Flay's father, Mister Allster, is on one of the vessels in the advance fleet. So please do make sure you do your best to keep him and his vessel in one piece."

"We'll try but I'm not gonna promise you anything Murrue."

"I know Jack but still, do the best you can okay? I trust Miriallia has told you about the three prototype GINNs, yes?"

"Mhm. She sure did."

"Those three are part of the Harken Team. To give you a short summary, that team is known for their blitz tactics, hitting the enemy at vital spots before said enemy can return fire. I know you can handle yourself well but this is an enemy that you can't underestimate."

"No worries honey. I'll take your advice to heart."

Murrue blushed at his affectionate nickname for her but she immediately displays a worried look on her face. A scared expression formed on her face as if she is going to lose something precious to her. "Jack…please do be careful out there, okay?"

This is probably the third time the brown-haired captain displayed herself in such a vulnerable state. He cannot understand why she is only showing this fearful side to him but to none of the other crew members though he has a high suspicion that she is showing him this because she is afraid that she might lose him, her object of affections, to the war.

"Hey as I told you before, I've faced way worse opponents so you don't have to fret your pretty head about me okay? Trust me."

Captain Ramius nods her head before signing off. Taking a sigh, he and BT moved to the catapult, ready to launch out in space.

"Man, Murrue definitely loves to worry about me alright. Not that I'm complaining or anything because I'm moved by her worriedness but you and I can handle ourselves just fine."

" **Even so, we must not get too overconfident and lax about the enemy pilots. As Captain Ramius warned us, the Harken Team is skilled in using hit and run tactics, utilizing their speed to their advantage to gain the upper hand in combat.** **She has every right to be worried about us.** "

"Still, whoever is on the Harken Team aren't on the same level as those Apex Predators despite me being able to kick their ass for a rookie pilot like myself."

" **Correct, Pilot Cooper, but we mustn't overestimate the enemy. Doing so will result in having a decrease in our overall combat rating efficiency and will lead to more damages to my frame. We have to exercise caution when we them in combat.** "

"Alright, you got me. Ready for some action partner?"

" **Ready as I will ever be. Protocol Two: Uphold the Mission. Our mission is to make sure the advance fleet of the Eighth Orbital Fleet is safe from ZAFT attacks.** **We must repel the enemy to the best of our ability at all costs to ensure that HVT Allster is safe from harm.** "

Seeing the green light for clearance, Cooper and BT launched from space, making a beeline right to the fight. Not a minute after he left, already three regular GINNs are heading straight at him, firing their D-equipment armaments at the enemy pilot. Activating the Vortex Shield, BT captured all of the missiles and rockets in the magnetic shield before releasing it back to the enemy, destroying one unit while the other two flew away, getting a better position to flank him from different angles.

"Oh no. It won't be that easy!" The custom CGUE dances around the enemy GINNs equipped with the Cattus recoilless launcher, avoiding enemy fire while firing three consecutive shots each to the two GINNs totaling in six shots. Once all of them are painted, he immediately activates the tracking rockets, sending a barrage to the two GINNs in the process. The heavily-armed mass produced units tried to shoot them all down but in the end, the fast-moving rockets were too much for them to handle. All of the missiles nailed their targets, hammering them until their doomed units exploded in a fiery blast of flames.

With three out of the way, his cockpit blared some warning signals as another one immediately begins to fire its machine gun. Using his vulcan shield to deflect the bullets, the enemy GINN got close, ready to skewer him with the broadsword but Cooper is faster on the draw. Using BT's free servo, he immediately punches right in the cockpit, grabbing the pilot of said unit with the servo.

"Come here bitch!" Cooper crushed said pilot to pieces, resulting in a bloody red cloud. Cooper immediately fires a few machine gun rounds from his vulcan shield into the cockpit before flying away as the doomed unit explodes.

Just as he was done engaging the last GINN, some of the GINNs who were done destroying the Moebius armors looked at the custom CGUE unit in fear at the brutal action the pilot did against their comrade.

"D-d-did that CGUE unit j-j-just crush that pilot?!"

"Y-you're not the only one who saw that. H-h-he crushed Serena into a bloody pulp!"

"B-b-but how is that even possible?! Shouldn't the servo, er…I don't know, crush her immediately the moment she was yanked out of the cockpit!?"

"I dunno but one thing's for sure, we'll have to take that pilot out for committing such an act! Come on people! Let's show this pilot how we ZAFT soldiers fight!"

As four ZAFT pilots immediately hone in on the custom unit, the Militia pilot hears a naval ship explode in a large fiery blast. "BT, what was that?"

" **Checking…the** _ **Trafalgar**_ **has been sunk. Visuals indicate it is the work of the Harken Team.** "

"So the little badass team decides to play eh? Alright partner, let's show these tough guys how to play in the big leagues. Let's get 'em!"

His cockpit begins to blare warning signals as four GINNs are chasing him, firing at him with everything they got at their arsenal. " **Warning! Incoming hostiles coming at twelve o'clock! Counting four GINNs in sight!** "

Cooper gains a tick mark on his head, irritated that he now has to deal with these imbeciles instead of the Harken Team. "Argh, I got no time dealing with you small fry. Let's see if you can handle some delicious tracking rockets and 40mm explosive shells comin' at ya."

Whirling around, Cooper once again activated the Vortex Shield capturing all the missiles, rockets and bullets they within the magnetic shield. With all the projectiles captured, they were thrown back at their original owners, shredding one unit to pieces in the process while the rest broke off to flank the custom CGUE.

Just like before, Cooper and BT danced around the incoming fire while they calmly painted their targets with the anti-aircraft shotgun. Cooper got the first unit painted with both of its arms and helm unit blown off. Dodging the incoming Cattus rockets, the militia pilot swiftly flies underneath the second unit, while firing three consecutive shots taking out both leg units and left arm unit holding the Cattus recoilless launcher. For the third and final unit, he maneuvered in a zig-zag manner, dodging all the shots in the process. As he got near the front of the unit, Cooper immediately flew above him before facing the unit in an upside-down position. The Militia pilot clipped off one thruster wing while both of the leg units are destroyed from the tracking shells. To add a bit more of an insurance policy, he blasted off the helm unit, rendering the unit's main camera useless.

Once all three had been painted, the pilot immediately unleashes a barrage of tracking rockets, destroying all three of them to shreds with ease before three bright orange clouds of fire ended the pesky infantry units.

"Tch, these guys aren't even worth the challenge. I've seen grunt pilots kick way more ass than these jokers they call pilots." Marking the Harken Team in his HUD along, he decides to take a crack at them. "Alright, time to take care of the rest. I definitely want to try out the Harken Team and see how I fare against them."

With his Salvo Core at one hundred percent, Cooper loads a new magazine into the anti-aircraft shotgun before setting his sights on the fast maneuvering team. Seeing the three GINNs accompanying the Harken Team, he decides to save the Salvo Core for the GINN High Maneuver Types and take the grunts out the old-fashioned way.

Stepping on the ignition pedal, the Militia duo approached the Harken Team GINNs engaging the _Wilson_ with their D-equipment. Aiming both his anti-aircraft shotgun and vulcan shield at the three units, the Militia pilot unleashes a barrage of lead and shells at the offending units. Already, one GINN was cut to shreds before detonating in a fiery blaze of glory while the other two units finished taking out the Earth Forces vessel.

"Alright kids, let's see if you can give me a challenge. Show me what the Harken Team is made of."

One GINN equipped with the Canus short-range missile launcher unleashed the remaining inner rockets before ditching the useless armament for its machine gun. The other GINN fired the Cattus recoilless launcher at the custom CGUE unit. Cooper easily took out the missiles from the Canus launcher with the CGUE's vulcan shield while grabbing the Cattus rounds using Vortex shield. Strafing the bullets, he threw the rockets back at the second GINN unit. The rockets nailed their target, destroying the unit with ease.

With the second unit destroyed, the first unit got nearer to custom unit as it sprayed its machine gun at the enemy. The custom CGUE uses the vulcan shield to deflect the lead while flying over to the left side of the battlefield. As the GINN continues to fire at the custom unit, he fired a single shot from his anti-aircraft shotgun at the machine gun, destroying the armament. With the GINN out of available armaments at its disposal, Cooper immediately took out the modified broadsword before dashing at the helpless unit. Before the GINN could even leave the battlefield, Cooper immediately grabbed the unit, spun it around before plunging it right through the cockpit, killing the pilot in the process.

Pulling it back, Cooper kicks the doomed unit before flying off to face the three GINN High Maneuver Types who got done sinking the _Bernard_.

"Shit. We only have the _Montgomery_ and the _Law_ left intact. If any of them are sunk, we're screwed."

" **As such we have to continue upholding Protocol Two, Cooper. We cannot let anymore enemy units destroy the last remaining Earth Alliance ships.** "

"Right. You still good in battery power, BT?"

" **Battery power at 97%.** "

"Eh, still good enough."

As the Militia duo immediately approached them, the Unstoppable Trio heard an alarm beeping in their radars. Hilda gets a closer visual on the enemy unit approaching them before widening her eyes as the famed custom CGUE is now heading towards them. It looks like Lady Luck is shining upon them since they can test their combat prowess against this mobile suit pilot.

"Huh, will you look at. Usually we'd be looking for the action but it looks like the action is coming to us."

Mars cracked his knuckles before he places his hands on the controls, eager to get a real challenge instead of those easy to destroy Moebius armors. "I know right? Finally, a real challenge! Since the pilot's the one who took out our boys engaging the _Bernard_ , I say we give the pilot the usual team welcome!"

Herbert, on the other hand, just looks at his superior officer. "Well if the pilot of the custom CGUE wants to fight us, then who are we to deny him or her? I do hope he or she has a med kit in that cockpit because he or she will sure need it when we're done with him or her."

Although she has been given orders by Commander Le Creuset to engage the advance fleet and their units only and not the mobile suits of the legged ship, this one is flying in to protect the last two remaining ships of the Earth Forces.

Then again, she did not receive an order about not attacking one of the legged ship's mobile suits defending the naval ships of the advance fleet so there is a loophole she can use if she ever gets into trouble with Commander Gladys. Deciding for a minute over her decisions, she already made up her mind, telling the rest of her team to engage the pilot.

"Alright you two, listen up! I want you to engage the legged ship's enemy mobile suit while I take care of these remaining ships. Do what you can to make sure the suit is out of way but once that unit is out of the way, we're back in business. Understand?"

"Sure thing boss."

"Hell yeah! Now you're talking! Now let's see what this mobile suit pilot is made off!"

Mars and Herbert immediately flew right at the mobile suit, flanking him in different directions while Hilda flew off to take care of the last remaining ships. Unfortunately, just as she is about to take care of the _Law_ , the custom CGUE immediately got in front of her, punching the mobile suit away from the vulnerable ship before firing a few rounds of the modified anti-aircraft shotgun. Luckily the orangette pilot is able to move out of the way before linking up with her other two teammates.

"You alright boss?" asked Herbert.

Before she can say anything, the custom CGUE opened up the missile pods on the chassis, unleashing a massive barrage of missiles at them. Widening their eyes, the three units immediately utilized the High Maneuver Type's fast thrusters to avoid the tracking barrage. Hilda swerved around the battlefield, hoping the tracking missiles would lose her but to her dismay, they are still tracking her down. Deciding to use the _Law_ as a shield, she quickly swerved around suppressive fire before taking a swift dive at the Earth Forces vessel. In slow motion, the mobile suit inched its way closer and closer to ship before taking a swift upward motion in the air causing the missiles to hit the friendly vessel, causing the vessel to sustain more damages than needed.

As for Herbert and Mars, they did the same to the _Montgomery_ as they took the tracking rockets with them to hit the naval vessel, causing more damages to it. The Unstoppable Trio regrouped together before facing the custom CGUE unit before them.

"Damn, that guy popped off some sort of tracking barrage attack at us at the last minute!" complained Mars.

"I hear you there Mars. Those were a pain in the ass to shake off. Looks like the reports are true about this guy. We shouldn't underestimate the pilot."

"Still, we need to shake this guy off and finish the mission."

"Triangle formation boss?" asked Mars.

"Looks like that'll have to do. Triangle formation boys!"

The trio immediately surrounded Cooper from all sides in their triangular formation, aiming their machine guns at the enemy unit. Once they got their sights on the CGUE, all three GINN High Type Maneuvers begin to unleash a hailstorm of lead right at it, running their magazines dry.

Cooper, not being afraid at all at their triangular formation, danced around a few bullets before activating the Vortex Shield, capturing all of the projectiles in the blue magnetic shield. With all of the lead captured, he released the massive lead storm right at the lead unit with the number "003" on it. Hilda could barely react in time as she slightly dodged the incoming barrage heading straight at her. The right arm wielding the machine gun and left leg got severed in the process while the helm only has three-fourths of it left intact. Not to mention, one of her thrusters got damaged as the bullets also tore through the unit from the barrage. Smoke and sparks of electricity danced through the frame of her mobile suit.

"Hilda!" Herbert immediately flew over to aid his superior officer while Mars went in to deal with the unit.

Connecting his channel to the enemy unit, he decided to congratulate the unit for landing a hit on either one of them. "I'll have to admit, you're quite good pilot. For you to be able to land a hit on either of us is an amazing feat in and of itself but that's the first and last time you'll land one. Now then, let's see if you can tango with me!"

"I've been looking forward to it! Let's see what you got!"

Mars immediately loaded a new magazine into his machine gun before flying right at the enemy unit, firing a slew of lead right at Cooper. Cooper blocked the incoming lead storm with the vulcan shield before while firing back at the incoming unit.

While the two parties continue exchanging shots at each other, Herbert had his unit stand by Hilda's side. Connecting to his comms, the blue-haired pilot asked her if she is alright.

"Boss, you alright?"

"Y-yeah. I'm fine Herbert but damn, the pilot was able to land a grazing shot at me thanks to that magnetic shield ability. I don't know whether I should be proud of the pilot for actually landing a hit or be pissed that the enemy rendered me incapable of fighting."

"Well, since you can't fight with your machine gun taken out, you may as well head back to the _Brandt_ and get your unit repaired. We'll take it from here."

"You sure about that Herbert?"

"Positive ma'am."

"Be careful out there. The last thing I want to do is write your wife about leaving you to your death in the form of the custom CGUE unit that's fighting for the legged ship. Say, don't you have a kid at home?"

"Mhm. A ten-year old son to be precise."

"I see. Well, we don't want your kid to be fatherless now, do we? Provide me some covering fire while I limp my way back to the ship."

"You got it boss."

Herbert took a vigilant stance, making sure his superior officer is not hit any further. He took out a few cheeky Moebius armors trying to gain a sneak attack on Hilda but other than that, Mars seems to be able to occupy the enemy unit really well. Seeing Hilda return to the _Brandt_ , Herbert was about to head over to finish off the Law but it seems that a team of GINNs were able to sink the ship with ease.

"Well that's the end of the ship. Better head over to assist Mars-" He was cut off short as two GINNs blew up in a fiery ball of flames thanks to an orange Moebius Zero flying in the battlefield. Herbert seems a bit surprised to see the orange unit again since most of them were already eliminated during the Grimaldi Front. "Looks like this is the Hawk of Endymion Commander Le Creuset talked about…"

Speaking of which, the lone orange mobile armor made its way to engage him making the blue-haired pilot to dodge the incoming fire from the gun barrel pods. Utilizing the great mobility of the unit, Herbert flew around the suppressive fire before coming up to main unit of the Moebius Zero.

"No hard feelings but I can't let you land a single scratch on me. After all, I did promise my boss I'll be taking over this mission for her."

Firing a few rounds into the main unit, the Moebius Zero immediately lost control of its thrusters rendering it helpless in the battlefield.

"Dammit, not again! I'm helpless in this condition! _Archangel_ , this is Mu La Flaga! My Moebius Zero is hit. I repeat, my Moebius Zero is hit! Get the hangar open and have the mechanics ready to repair my unit."

With the Moebius Zero out of the equation, Herbert immediately heads over to aid Mars in his fight against the custom unit.

Speaking of Jack and Mars, the former is able to destroy a right arm unit thanks to well-timed shot before having to reload a new magazine. The ZAFT unit stumbled a bit in its course prompting the Militia pilot to take a chance and fire at the thrusters to render the mobile suit a handicap in its speed. Taking a fine aim at the wing unit, he fired a well-placed shot, destroying the thruster in the process.

Herbert immediately engages the enemy unit, flying in different angles while unleashing a torrent of lead. Cooper blocked the incoming shots with the vulcan shield as he fires a couple tracking shells at the speedy unit. When Herbert fired the last bullet from the chamber, the Militia pilot immediately sprung into action firing a torrent of tracking shells at the GINN High Type Maneuver unit.

"Alright stay still for a minute while I try to shoot you down…"

The purple and black GINN was able to dodge the first three shells but the fourth shell nailed left leg unit before another destroyed the right arm wielding his machine gun.

"Man, even though I was able to beat them, these guys are no slouch in the speed department. These guys surely give Viper a run for his money."

" **Affirmative on the assessment Pilot Cooper…** "

BT was cut off as the _Montgomery_ was hit by the _Vesalius_ 's beam cannons. Everybody in the battlefield froze as they watch the vessel ignite in a huge fiery blaze, incinerating everybody including George Allster himself. With the _Montgomery_ no longer there anymore, the only people left on the field are three unharmed GINNs, two damaged High Type Maneuver units, the Aegis, the Strike, the two Nazca-class ships, and the _Archangel_.

Before anybody can do anything, Natarle, in a flight of stupidity or bravery, activated the _Archangel_ 's loudspeaker.

"Attention all ZAFT units within the area! This is the Earth Forces warship, the _Archangel_ , speaking! Currently in the care of this ship is the daughter of Chairman Siegel Clyne, Miss Lacus Clyne. We came across her life pod in the Debris Belt before bringing her in the ship for humanitarian reasons. However, should you decide to attack this ship, we shall consider this as an abandonment of your responsibilities to protect her! We will take matters in our own hands! The choice is all yours."

The moment he heard Natarle's ultimatum to the ZAFT forces, Cooper's blood begins to boil in simmering rage. For her to have the audacity to Lacus as a hostage in a combat situation like this is nothing but an act of cowardice! Despicable even.

But for this reason, he cannot blame her for two reasons. One, the ZAFT forces have already eliminated all five ships within their naval escort and the _Archangel_ , despite being made to withstand punishment, is not indestructible. Two, the ZAFT forces did not know that Lacus Clyne is with them on the ship and if they continued to fight, those teams would have eliminated the Chairman's daughter without knowing it. Even though using her as a hostage is uncalled for, at the same time, they have to let the ZAFT forces know she is in their custody without them destroying the entire crew to a million pieces.

" _Man I wished Natarle would've worded her broadcast a lot better than making it sound like a hostage situation but given the circumstances, I can't say I blame her for scraping the bottom of the barrel._ "

Apparently, one of the GINN pilots decided to fly towards the _Archangel_ to retaliate but Cooper immediately flanked him by appearing in front of the unit. He aimed at his anti-aircraft shotgun at the cockpit, halting the pilot in his tracks.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. Not unless you want to be with the rest of your buddies who are already dead." Cooper contacted the enemy pilot in a frigid voice that is capable of freezing hell on the spot.

"Grr! Fuck you! Get outta my way you damn bastard!"

"So be it. You only have yourself to blame for this." Cooper jabbed the anti-aircraft shotgun into the cockpit, shooting a couple shots before kicking the doomed unit away from him before it exploded in a fiery blaze.

Before anybody can immediately engage, Rau's voice from the _Vesalius_ immediately gave out an order to retreat. "All ZAFT forces within the area, retreat to your respective ships at once. We already won the fight but at a heavy price. We don't need to add more casualties so retreat at once."

As the ZAFT units begin to retreat, Mars contacted the CGUE's pilot. "Hey pilot! I just want some confirmation over there! Are you sure Miss Lacus is aboard your ship?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Answer me truthfully because I know when you're lying. Has she been interrogated or roughly handled in any way, shape or form?"

Cooper thought about what he should say to the pilot of the GINN High Type Maneuver before answering him over the comms. "She's been treated as a guest, not a prisoner of war. We haven't done anything harmful on her."

He left out the part where she has been hounded on by Flay since it is better to not mention anything when things are starting to deescalate in the battlefield. Besides, he is truthful about Lacus being treated as a guest on board the _Archangel_ so he is not lying in a sense.

Seeing no lies laced in his voice, he immediately left one more matter to him. "Very well. I know I can't ask the enemy some sort of favor in a war but you seem to be trustworthy enough. Can you make sure Miss Lacus feels comfortable during her temporary stay on the legged ship before an arrangement can be made?"

Cooper is quite surprised by the pilot's request but he nonetheless agrees to his request. "Sure thing, but you may end up picking her up sooner or later. We'll make sure she's alright in the ship. You have my word."

As the two Harken team members left for the _Brandt_ , Athrun, in the Aegis, narrowed his eyes in disappointment at Kira as he connects his radio channel to the Strike's. "What bastards you are Kira! For you to use a rescued civilian as a hostage! So Kira, answer me truthfully. Do you feel justified in serving with these cowards!? DO YOU?!"

Kira flinched at the anger his friend is displaying for him. "A-Athrun b-b-believe me! We'd never do such a thing!"

Welp that did not do much to quell his anger one bit. "Lies! All lies! Mark my words you monster, I'll rescue her from the hands of the Earth Alliance you now serve. I'll do whatever it takes to get her, even if it means killing you in the process."

Without looking back, he and the other two GINNs left in the Porto Team flew back to the _Vesalius_.

The brunette teen felt a knife stab right in his heart as he watches Athrun and his teammates leave the area. For his best friend to call him a monster without a single hint of remorse stings so much, tears begin to well up in his eyes. He did not even bother to see Cooper hailing him from his unit.

"Kira, let's get going…whoa son! What's the matter? You alright?"

"It's nothing…really. Let's head back to the ship."

Clearly the kid is upset about something but he lets it slide. As much as he wanted to know what was bugging him leading him in such a gloomy state, he did not push the issue further. If it is something personal, then he has no right to interfere but if he needs a shoulder to lean on or somebody to talk to, then he will be there for the kid in every step of the way.

Arriving at the hangar, the two docked their machines into the recharging stations as they begin to repair whatever damages the units have incurred during the fight. Stepping out of their mobile suits, Kira and Jack joined up with Mu who is taking a drink of water from a water bottle.

"Man what a mess we've gotten ourselves into! Has somebody pissed off a voodoo priest or slipped some sort of unlucky object to have this ship cursed or something!? Plus, what the hell is she thinking by using the Chairman's daughter as a hostage to prevent ZAFT from blowing us to pieces. If anything, it's gonna give them all the more reason to take us out."

Mu rolls his eyes at Murdoch's complaint. "The ship ain't cursed at all, Murdoch. Plus, I'm pretty sure nobody pissed off a voodoo priest. You want to know the real curse? It's the bastard by the name of Rau Le Creuset. If there's anything to be blamed, it's that person right there."

He looked over to Kira who is upset at what just transpired, and Jack who is just impassive as ever. "Hey there Jack, youngster!"

"What the hell was that all about, Lieutenant La Flaga?"

He just raises an eyebrow at the teen. "What do you mean by that? You just heard what Natarle just mentioned over at the broadcast. There's nothing much to explain right there."

"So taking a civilian girl hostage and using her as a bargaining chip to prevent the enemy from sending us to hell is something that's not worth explaining?! Do the Earth Forces conduct themselves in such a dastardly and utterly disgusting manner?!"

Before Mu can retort, Jack placed a hand on Jack's shoulders making the teen turn around at his fellow pilot. "Listen, I get it that you're upset about how Natarle handled the situation. We all are and I'm pretty sure the lady up in the bridge is a bit guilty for using her as a bargaining tool but you have to understand what is going on around us."

"What do you mean by that? What do you mean by understanding the situation around us?!"

Cooper was unperturbed by his outburst. "The ZAFT forces are clueless that we have the Chairman's daughter with us and if they attacked us after destroying the advance fleet, then they'd end up killing her in the process without them knowing. So despite the cheap shot, they instantly got the message that she is in our ship. Get the picture son?"

Kira at first wanted to accuse Jack of siding with her for such a horrendous act but thinking about it, his fellow pilot did raise a valid point. The ZAFT forces have no clue that she is on board the ship and are probably trying to find her since she went missing in the Debris Belt. So in a sense, Natarle is doing something right for a change albeit not the way they are hoping it would be.

Mu chimed on the conversation. "Jack's right kid. If it can be helped, we would've handled this in a diplomatic manner but considering the circumstances, Natarle had no choice but to notify them in a way that would stop them from tearing us to pieces. Now before you start accusing us, know that we are upset as you are for such a cheap tactic but thanks to her, we're still here alive and unharmed. Besides, if you were in her shoes, you probably would've done the same thing albeit in a slightly different manner."

"Still to use such a dirty tactic like that..."

The Militia hero decided to leave him with an advice. An advice that would hopefully stick with him if he is to ever continue fighting in this war. "Kira, listen to me and listen well. In war, you're placed in tough situations like these where picking the moral and ethical choice is hard to make. Sometimes, you have to resort to using dirty shots to prevent one side from destroying the other. Leaders in the army have to make tough calls, some of which they do not want to make but they have no other choice but to pick one or the other. It may be cheap in your eyes but to the leaders faced with those decisions, you either have let the entire crew live or you let them die."

Kira stood there silent, not knowing what to say about his advice. It struck him like a freight train as he watches the Militia pilot head over to the pilot room to get himself out of his pilot uniform.

* * *

Up in the _Archangel_ 's bridge, Murrue stared at Natarle with a hard look on his face. Despite the ZAFT forces retreating back to their respective ships and prevented them from outright destroying them in the process, she is still upset at the way her subordinate second in command handled the situation.

Natarle looked at her superior with a confused eyebrow. "Ma'am?"

"I understand what you did back there but what this is uncalled for. Now that the battle is over, we are here in a tense standstill with ZAFT."

"Yes ma'am but we have no other options to take. Yes I wouldn't use a civilian as a hostage since it's a violation of Earth Alliance Protocol 10 but considering the options we have to take, I had no other options but to use it. After they eliminated the advance fleet, they would've set their sights on us and eliminated the _Archangel_ without the enemy knowing we have the Chairman's daughter with us. Would you rather let them destroy us and Miss Clyne all in one sweep?"

Yes that is true but regardless of how you look at it, she could have notified the incoming ZAFT forces in a different manner instead of a spur of the moment hostage crisis. "Still, you should've worded your broadcast in a different manner instead of turning this into a hostage situation. Now they have all the more reason to tear us into a million pieces!" Taking a sigh, she gives her a firm order. "I'll let this slide but never use this sort of tactic again. Not when I'm in charge. Using a civilian as a bargaining tool is a crime that has no justifications whatsoever."

"Yes ma'am!"

Returning to her post, the weary captain has another problem to tackle. How to handle this situation in the most diplomatic and delicate way possible without stirring up a hornet's nest.

* * *

As they immediately went over to the pilot room, BT contacts him from his helmet. " **Cooper, are you alright?** "

"Not after what Natarle pulled out back there by using Lacus as a bargaining chip to be used. Upset, sure, but I can understand what she had to do."

" **Understandable that you are upset about her 'stunt' as you put it. However, given the circumstances she has no other options to take but this route.** "

"I know, but seriously, she could've done something a bit different instead of turning this into a hostage situation. Imagine the propaganda they're gonna use back home by labeling us as terrorists by using her, Lacus Clyne daughter of Chairman Siegel Clyne, as a bargaining tool. Ugh this is definitely a headache."

" **Correct on that Cooper. Her tactics slightly reflects those same hostage tactics used by the IMC but from my observations, she only used this 'stunt' to notify ZAFT forces about her presence in the** _ **Archangel**_ **regardless if it were cowardly or not. ZAFT forces within the vicinity have zero evidence to know her presence here in the ship.** "

Cooper takes a sigh knowing that his trusty partner and friend is always right about these things. "Yeah I guess that's true."

The Militia pilot finished getting himself off his pilot uniform before storing his pilot suit in the locker. Moving through the hallways of the _Archangel_ , he hears somebody crying. Heading over to the source, he spots Kira weakly pounding his fist on the glass window, his body shaking uncontrollably in grief. Surprisingly, he is not the only person to find him as Lacus came over to see what was going on.

"Oh my, what seems to be the matter, Kira?"

Kira looked over to see Cooper and Lacus looking concerned for him. Noticing the tears in his eyes, she tried to dry them for him only for Kira to back away drying them himself. He is quite ashamed for letting them see his state of distress.

Just then, Cooper noticed that Lacus and her robotic pet, Mister Pink are with her. "Either you're very good at hacking things for a civie or there's some sort of malfunction in the lock. Still, what are you doing here out in the _Archangel_ by yourself?"

She flashed him an innocent smile on her face. "I was taking a stroll around here until I heard somebody cry out here. I assume you were doing the same?"

"More like I got done tearing Natarle a new one after the stunt she pulled." muttered Jack.

"You shouldn't be walking by yourself like this, Lacus. I already mentioned it to you before, you'll be accused of being a spy if you walk out of your room without somebody to escort you."

"Which was supposed to be your job by the way."

Kira looked at him incredulously at his friend. "What do you mean it's supposed to be my job? Last I remember, you're the one who brought her pod back from the Debris Belt so shouldn't the responsibilities lie with you?"

"Ehehehe, good point?"

The Strike pilot groans in his hands at his brother figure. Leave it for him to dump some of the work while he relaxes. "Still you shouldn't be out here by yourself. Those are the rules in the ship."

She then points to the floating pink sphere that is flapping its pink wings in the air. "I know its true but Mister Pink here likes to take walks. In fact, it doesn't matter if you lock the door, he will find a way to get it open."

Cooper snorts in amusement at her little blame game. Figures she would blame the poor ball for her troubles.

"The fighting has come to an end yet you look very sad."

Immediately, the poor lad became depressed as the memory of the _Montgomery_ blew up to pieces. "Well the truth is…I really don't like fighting. I'm a Coordinator but Athrun is a good friend of mine."

Now this piqued Cooper's interest. "Athrun you say? Care to share it with us if you don't mind?"

Seeing no harm in it, he begins to tell them how they met. "Athrun Zala is a friend of mine during my childhood. We met each other in Lunar Prep School several years ago before we had to part ways from each other since his family decided to move to the PLANTs prior to the war." He then looked out the window at the scenery that is space. "Who would've thought he would be the one to pilot the Aegis and the person I have to fight?"

Jack felt some sympathy for the kid. Sure, he did not have any experiences fighting against his friends because most, if not all of them are in the Militia but he cannot imagine what must be going through his mind every time they engage each other in a fight.

" _Poor kid. Must be tough for him to pull the trigger on his friend who is serving ZAFT._ "

"Now I understand. Both you and Athrun are very good people. The reality makes it all the more sad."

"Could you by any chance know him?" asked Kira.

"Athrun is the person I will eventually come to marry in the future."

Both Kira's and Jack's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. Kira's best friend is actually the one who will marry the pink-haired songstress? Wow. Talk about upholding the old-fashion upper-class courting tradition in this day and age.

Although surprise, Kira looked down, a bit jealous that his friend is engaged to her. Despite meeting her for a short while in the _Archangel_ , he is head over heels for the Pink Princess. She is kind, helpful, insightful, and respectful whereas Flay is nothing of the sort thanks to her prejudiced views of Coordinators.

Still, he is nonetheless happy for his friend to have a wonderful fiancé by his side. Cooper noticed the sullen jealous look of fellow pilot but did not say anything. He already knew the kid is already attracted to the pink-haired songstress but for the youngster to hear the news that his best friend is engaged to her, he cannot help but feel bad for the kid.

"Still, aren't you a bit young to be thinking about getting hitched with each other for the future?" asked Cooper. After all, most teens have marriage in the backburner of their minds since they either focus on having fun or picking which college to enroll in to get their intended degrees. Marriage is the last thing any teenager would have in his or her mind.

"The engagement was actually made between our fathers."

"I guess the arranged marriage is due to the birth regulations in the PLANTs." Cooper looked at Kira with a raised eyebrow, wanting the lad to explain more. "There aren't many childbirths among certain generation of Coordinators so it's not unusual for parents living in the PLANTs to have their kids get in arranged marriages right from the start."

Damn, that is quite an eye opener. Perhaps this is the negative side of having your entire genetic makeup altered and enhanced. Sterility.

"Ah…well…sorry for making it awkward."

Lacus giggles at Cooper. "Oh it's no problem. You didn't know so it's natural for you to be curious."

"With that out of the way, how do you look at Athrun from your own perspective? Kira already knows about him during their time in school but what about you?"

Thinking for a minute, Lacus gives Cooper her answer. "Athrun is a nice person, albeit he tends to be reserve and quiet. After all, he gave me Mister Pink which I am very grateful for so he gave me one after another."

" **Haro! Nice to meet you!** "

"Looks like Athrun hasn't changed one bit. After all, he's the one who gave me Birdy before we departed." The Strike's pilot fond look was replaced by a sad one. "Now that we're in this war, we have no choice but to fight and possibly…kill each other because we're enemies. Enemies that cannot allow personal feelings to cloud their judgement."

Lacus felt sorry for the brown-haired pilot. "It would be nice if you two would no longer have to fight each other in battle. Such engagements will make the heart weary and sad."

Kira smiled at such a notion. If only it were true but sadly, this is war. War tends to break up friends, making them fight each other despite their feelings against it. War does not discriminate because if you have two friends fighting each other as enemies, delicious, tasty, juicy drama would unfold. And as you know, war loves some drama so if it can pitch two childhood friends against each other for more drama and tears, then bring it on! Drama sells after all and war will take whatever drama it can get to gain it.

Deciding to change the somber topic, he exchanges stories of his time spent with Athrun to Lacus while Cooper is thinking of an idea to get the young lady off the _Archangel_ so that she would not be used as a tool by the Earth Alliance. He continues to rummage through his head until a light bulb immediately flashes in his mind.

" _Alright. I gotta get Kira in on the plan. It may be risky but the reward will be worth it._ "

Finally after much conversation, Kira and Cooper escort her to her room before closing the door. Just before the young lad can leave, the Militia hero grabs him by the shoulder.

"What are you-mmph!"

Cooper places his hand on his lips, while checking to make sure nobody is on them listening to the plan he is going to place into motion. "Shh! You'll alert somebody to our place and I can't let them know what we're trying to do! Now listen here very carefully because this is the only way we'll get Lacus off the ship."

Kira looks at him as if he has some sort of death wish. "Are you insane!? You do know that we'll be in big trouble if we do it on our own terms without notifying Captain Ramius! Besides, are you sure you're allowed to assign a mission for us?" whispered Kira.

"Yes what I'm doing is probably gonna get us into big trouble but it'll worth the risk! Besides, I never made a full contract with these guys so I technically, somewhat, have a degree of freedom to do something here. But forget that for a minute and concentrate on what I have to say. You and I both know that Lacus is just a tool for those EA high command bastards so to prevent such a thing from happening, we'll send her back to ZAFT. Both parties can be happy and we can get some heat off our backs. So what do you say? You in?"

As much as he wanted to not get into much trouble, Cooper raises a very good point. "Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you about the consequences we're gonna face!"

"As I said before, it'll be worth it, trust me! Now here's how we're gonna do it…"

* * *

It was already quiet in the _Archangel_ as everybody, minus a few other crew members, has fallen asleep. This is the perfect opportunity to get Lacus out of the ship before heading to lunar headquarters.

Kira and Cooper quietly walked around the barracks, making sure they made little noise as possible so to not wake up some of the sleeping passengers. Arriving at her room, Cooper maintains a watchful eye around the hallway while Kira punched the code in the keypad before the doors opened up. Inside, Kira spots Lacus sleeping peacefully on her bed.

Gently, he shook her sleeping form making her stir in her sleep. Opening her eyes, she sees Kira in her room.

"Oh my? What seems to be the problem Kira?"

"Sorry to wake you up but please don't say anything and come with me quietly. Get yourself dressed okay?"

As much as she wanted to know what was going on, the look on Kira's face is all that she needed to know. Getting herself dressed, the three left the barracks, making their way to the pilot room to get themselves suited up. Unfortunately, their stealthy getaway got ruined thanks to Miriallia and Sai leaving their rooms.

"Aw fuck me. We've been spotted." groaned Cooper.

Sai looked at the Cooper, Kira, and Lacus trying to figure out what they are up to. "Cooper, Kira, what are you guys up to at this time?"

"Er…um…how should I say this…"

Miriallia stared at them for a full minute before connecting the dots in her head. "Oh no! Don't tell me y-you're…"

"Yeah, we're gonna be taking Lacus back to ZAFT. So I'm just gonna ask if you can perhaps…I dunno…pretend that you didn't see us?" asked a sheepish Cooper to the two youngsters.

The two seemed to be conflicted at the idea so Kira decided to add a flair of dramatics to get them to see their point. "I know what we're doing will likely get us into big trouble but both of us can't stand seeing Lacus used as a tool by the higher ups. So I beg of you, please, if you're not going to help us, then pretend that you didn't see us."

Sai scratches the back of his head conceding to Kira's point of view. "Well…using a girl as a hostage is something the bad guys would do. Alright, we'll help you two out."

A sense of relief washes over them as the two pilots went in to the pilot room to get themselves dressed up for their unofficial mission. Cooper was done changing in his usual Militia pilot gear so he left the pilot room while Kira handed Lacus a spare spacesuit while he changes.

While waiting for the two to get dressed, Sai could not help but ask if this is even a good idea. "Are you sure this is a good idea to launch against Captain Ramius's orders? I mean I understand where you two are getting at but you two will be in big trouble and I don't want that happening to you guys."

"Thanks for the concern kid, but the trouble will be worth it. Besides, I've broken my fair share of rules in a military organization I was in before left the service yet I got away with a yelling from my superior officers. The worst thing we'll probably get is a timeout in the brig but that's the worst they can do. If we do face a tiny court martial, then I'll do my best to get them to see our point of view.

When the two got done with dressing up, the three went in the hangar to get into their respective mobile suits with Kira and Lacus in the Strike while Cooper docked himself into BT. Placing themselves in the catapult, Murdoch and a few other mechanics came in to see two mobile suits readying themselves to launch.

"Hey! What the hell's going on here?! Why are they launching out at a time like this?!"

Jack and Kira launched from the _Archangel_ with Kira equipping the Strike with the Alie Striker Pack and Cooper arming BT with the MMI-M7S machine gun and broadsword. Once they are out of the _Archangel_ , the two pilots got an angry call from Natarle.

"Pilots Cooper and Yamato, what in the world are you doing launching yourselves out in space?!"

Mu, on the other hand, came in to their little chat. "Forget it Natarle. The kid and Coop are taking the girl out and it's too late for us to stop them."

"Why I oughta-"

"Look, Natarle, I know you want to yell at me for violating military protocols and what other rules we broke but we'll take full responsibility for it. Yell at us later but we have a problem here that is in need of solving and I can assure you, you'll thank us later for this mission."

"Even if you do say that, you have no authorization to launch your mobile suits and return Miss Clyne to ZAFT! If you and Pilot Yamato do not want to face court martial, then you are to return back to the ship immediately or face the consequences of your actions! That's an order!"

Having enough of her nonsense, Murrue comes over in the communications line to sort out the mess. "Cooper, Kira, as much as I am upset about you two launching against my orders, you have the authorization to return Miss Clyne back to ZAFT. But you two will face some consequences when you return. Understand?"

"Sure thing honey. Thanks for understanding us."

Closing the communications link, the duo made their way to the two ZAFT vessels trailing at the _Archangel_.

* * *

Back in the _Vesalius_ , Rau is conversing with Athrun and Ades about their plan to extract the famous Pink Princess from the _Archangel_.

"Even if we continue to follow them, we can't do a thing. Not with Miss Clyne on board the legged ship." said Ades.

"Which means their next move will most likely be to join the lunar fleet. What's the _Gamow_ 's position at the moment? How soon can they get here?"

"Current position is at 6 mark 509 epsilon, zero comma three. It'll take at least seven hours for them to link up with us."

"No good. By then, Miss Lacus will be at the hands of the EA. This is a tough one we're placed in. Has Commander Gladys assigned a rescue mission for Hilda's team?"

Before Ades can say anything, the _Vesalius_ immediately spotted two mobile suit signatures in their radars. Not to mention, they have an incoming signal from one of them.

"Sir! We're being hailed at by one of the _Archangel_ 's mobile suits. Should I patch it through?"

Seeing no harm in it, Rau allows it. "Sure. Patch the channel through."

Getting the enemy's transmission through their radio channels, they listen to the pilot's request.

"To the _Vesalius_ and _Brandt_ , this is the pilot of the Strike speaking. We are not here to attack you but to return an important person by the name of Lacus Clyne, Chairman Siegel Clyne's daughter, to you. However, in return I have two requests to be made. First, I want these two vessels to halt their engines. Second, I want only two representatives from each vessel to meet us here at the drop off point. Preferably I want the pilot of the Aegis and a member of the Harken Team to meet us here. Failure to meet these demands, I cannot guarantee her safety."

The pilot, on the other hand, cannot help but look at the pilot incredulously. "Seriously man?! Did you come up with that threat on your own or what?! Do you really want to jeopardize this mission?!"

Kira looks a bit sheepish. "Ehehehe…sorry about that. I kinda got in the zone?"

"The fuck do you mean you were in the zone?! You trying to get us killed or something?! If we're auditioning for a movie, you'd be beaned by the director for being out of script!"

Forgetting to turn off the open channel, everybody in the _Brandt_ , _Vesalius_ , and _Archangel_ sweatdrops at their banter.

"That was…kinda interesting. Don't you think?" said one _Vesalius_ crew member.

Immediately, Athrun's face appears on the video feed. "Commander Le Creuset! Allow me to go to the drop off point, sir!"

"We still don't know what the enemy's intention are Lieutenant Zala! For all we know, this may be a hoax to get us to lower our guard. We don't know if Miss Clyne is even in there."

Rau, however, overrides his authority and grants Athrun permission to launch. "Very well. You may proceed when ready."

Closing off the connection, Ades looks over to his superior officer with a skeptical look on his face. "Sir, are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Of course. This is a chance for us to see how good these two pilots are. I always wanted a round two with the custom CGUE unit. Prepare my CGUE and halt the ship. Tell the _Brandt_ to the same."

* * *

In space, Cooper and Jack waited for the two representatives from either ship to arrive. Just a minute later, they see the Aegis and a repaired GINN High Maneuver Type coming to them.

As they inched their way closer to the two mobile suits, Kira raised the Strike's beam rifle at the cockpit while Cooper stays his weapon, facing the GINN High Maneuver Type in a non-threatening manner.

"Athrun Zala, is that you in the Aegis?" asked Kira in the Strike.

"Yes. It's me."

"Then open up the cockpit to know that it's truly you."

Athrun did not hesitate to open up the Aegis's cockpit, revealing himself to Kira. Seeing that it is not a hoax, Kira opens up the Strike's cockpit, revealing him and Lacus to the Aegis' pilot. The GINN High Maneuver Type opens up its channel asking if Lacus, can, instead join her in their company.

"Lieutenant Zala, this is Captain Harken. I want permission to ask you that we can perhaps take Lacus with us since we'll be the ones escorting her back to the PLANTs. If that is fine with you." Even though Hilda outranks Athrun, Lacus is his betrothed so she has to ask permission from him.

Seeing no harm in it, he allows Hilda to take his fiancé in her mobile suit. "That's fine Captain Harken."

Just as the transaction between the two parties was going smoothly, the navy-haired elite soldier cannot help but plead with his friend to join them with ZAFT one more time. Perhaps he can convince him to see reason and join them against the enemy.

"Kira! Come with us! There's no reason why you should be with the Earth Forces!"

Although he did not want to fight his friend, he has other people precious to him in his heart in the _Archangel_. "Believe me Athrun, I don't want to fight you and it's the last thing I ever want to do but I must respectfully decline. Aboard that ship are people that are dear to me so I must protect them! I am sorry but I cannot join you."

His statement immediately tore him to pieces. He wanted to die immediately. His heart immediately shattered to a million fragments. Perhaps this is the way it is supposed to be. To fight until one of them dies in combat. As much as he does not want to kill Kira, he has no other choice.

"Then you left me with no other choice Kira. As much as it paints me to say this, the next time we meet…w-we'll be enemies."

"I…too share the same sentiments…"

Lacus, who is now in Hilda's cockpit, cannot help but be saddened at what transpired between the two friends. The orangette notices it and places a comforting hand on her arm.

"Sad isn't it? To see one of your friends serving on the other side of the war and having no choice but to fight them."

Lacus agrees with her point. "It is. I cannot imagine the pain both Kira and Athrun must be going through."

"I know, Miss Lacus, but that is the way war tends to run. Friendships will be shattered as people have to pick a side to fight for."

Just then, Rau's silver CGUE immediately left the _Vesalius_ , making a beeline to Cooper. Said pilot did not have time to react as he was immediately blindsided by a punch from the raging machine while another kick immediately knocks him a few feet away. Rau did not let up as he begins to rain down some fire from his machine gun, the 76mm bullets hitting BT's armor.

"Argh! Shit! I thought we sent them a message that we're not going to attack them?!"

" **Unfortunately, the enemy unit that attacked you was the same CGUE we fought in Heliopolis. From what I observe by the pilot's actions, the person wants to test your combat skills. Still we must try and get away from the suppressive fire before I begin to take some haul damage.** "

Luckily, Mu came in the nick of time, shooing the masked commander's unit away from his friend. Getting him to stand away from Cooper before connecting his channel to the Jack's mobile suit. "Jack! You okay?"

"Argh, you think I'm okay? That silver CGUE raging bastard just cleaned my clock out when I least expected it."

"Eh, you're still talking so that's alright in my books."

Before anything can happen, Lacus immediately told Rau to stand down. "Commander Rau Le Creuset. Stop this nonsense at once! Are you trying to make this location into a battlefield in front of a memorial delegation representative such as myself? I will not allow anymore aggressive intentions to be waged in my presence. Cease the hostilities immediately. Is that understood?"

Rau clicked his tongue in disappointment but nonetheless conceded to her request. Hilda, on the other hand, relishes to see the commander get owned by the Chairman's daughter. It feels so good to watch the bastard she hates with all her guts wilt under her favorite person's authoritative command. Feels so good! She will have to tell this to Gladys when she gets back to the _Brandt_. The two are so going to enjoy it alright.

Before they left, Hilda connected to the comms of the custom CGUE pilot, thanking him for upholding the bargain. "Hey pilot! This is Captain Harken of the Harken Team. As much as I don't want to thank somebody for beating the entire team last fight, I have no choice but to do so. Thanks for keeping Miss Lacus Clyne safe."

"E-erm, sure thing?"

"That's the only time you'll get a thanks from me! Don't let it get to your head!"

Without a second, the ZAFT forces retreated back to their ship while Jack, Kira, and Mu looked on in amazement.

"I'm just going to say this, Lacus is one hell of a Pink Princess alright." said Cooper.

"I know right? I thought she got that name for being a famous pop star but damn I think she got her nickname by that regal command she just handed out." remarks Mu.

"You know what's even amazing, Mu? Kira's head over heels for her."

"No uh! For real?"

"You should've seen him when we were talking to her! He couldn't stop staring at her and his cheeks continue to blush at the princess! He couldn't help it man!"

The two laughed and continued to tease the poor Strike pilot while Kira wanted to hide in a hole and die. The trio returned to the ship while having fun at the stuttering, blushing mess that is Kira Yamato.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **And that is it people! Man my fingers hurt from all that typing man. Not to mention, my brain hurts from all the brainstorming and editing. Ah but nonetheless, here it is for your enjoying pleasure!**

 **Now for a little announcement. I am going to take a break from writing since Christmas is coming up and I have family coming over. I may be able to squeeze in a bit of work for the next chapter but not a whole lot. Still, think of this as a sort of early Christmas present for your viewing pleasure.**

 **To my viewers and readers who do not celebrate Christmas, I wish you all happy holidays!**

 **See ya later!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

 **A/N:**

 **Alrighty folks, we are back with another episode of** _ **Mobile Suit Titan SEED**_ **! Last time we met, we saw Jack and Kira returning Lacus to ZAFT and are now gonna be in trouble thanks to their little stunt.**

 **I made some modifications to the last chapter because I thought I made Cooper a tiny bit OOC so I made sure he stays a bit in line with his character model.**

 **Before I go on with the story, I just want to say, goodbye 2018. It's been an interesting year to ride on along with the memories I made. Time to say adieu as I say hello to the new year, 2019. What better way to start the new year than posting a new chapter of this wonderful story online?**

 **Still, Happy New Year people and let us begin this year of 2019 off in the right note. Let us get this story started.**

 **Legend:**

 **Hello – BT-7274 Speaking**

 _ **Hello**_ **– Thoughts, or flashback.**

 **Hello** **– Radio communications, news media outlet.**

 **Disclaimer: Titanfall belongs to Respawn Entertainment while Gundam SEED belongs to Sunrise and directed by Mitsudo Fukuda.**

* * *

 _Jack Davidson Cooper's Log Book 2.3_

 _Hey guys, it's your resident Militia rifleman field promoted Pilot here. Now what do I say here? I really don't know where to start…oh yeah! Now I remember. We just linked up with the Advance Fleet that was part of the Eighth Fleet but unfortunately, ZAFT decided to sabotage the little get-together with a little fight. Of course, we did the best we could to make sure the advance fleet didn't get blown down to hell but…er…we failed on that mission._

 _To make matters worse, ZAFT took out George Allster, Flay's dad, during the fight. Not only did we fail to make sure the fleet did not get eradicated but we also failed to make sure a political figure is safe from harm. Oh boy, looks like I'm gonna have to keep a major eye on her. From the short time I've known Flay, she might end up using Kira as some sort of tool to achieve whatever sick plot she has cooked up in her little head._

 _Aside from that, Kira and I, well…mostly me because I was the one who cooked up the plan, got together and returned Lacus back to ZAFT. Everything was going so smoothly until the bastard Rau came charging at us during the exchange and lambasted me with an attack that I wasn't able to suspect. Thankfully, the pink-haired kid was able to stop him before I could retaliate._

 _And now we're gonna deal with the trouble we caused for the ship. Man this is really gonna be a pain in the ass, isn't it? Oh well, I basically started this so I'm gonna have to face the consequences of my action, right?_

 _Jack Cooper, Pilot of BT-7274, 41st Militia Rifle Battalion._

* * *

In the _Brandt_ 's bridge, Commander Gladys is having a conversation with Rau about delivering Miss Clyne back to the PLANTs.

"Commander Le Creuset, since our mission is basically done with Miss Clyne aboard our ship, it's wise for us to head back to the homeland to up with her father, Chairman Clyne."

The mask commander nods his head to her. "A wise course of action, indeed. I'm sure Chairman Clyne would be ecstatic to see his daughter. We'll provide escort to make sure your ship reaches the PLANTs safe and sound and prevent Earth Alliance vessels from attacking us. I'll relay the _Gamow_ , telling them to continue on with the pursuit of the legged ship."

"Very well."

Closing the line, Talia orders the pilot to stir their course back to the PLANTs. "Helmsman, set course for the homeland. We have a daughter to reunite with a worried-sick father."

Back down in the _Brandt_ 's barracks section, Lacus is having a conversation with Hilda about her time in the _Archangel_.

"You must have been terrified to be in the hands of the Earth Alliance for quite some time." said Hilda.

The gentle angel shakes her head. "Oh no, I wasn't terrified at all, Miss Harken. If anything, everybody on the ship is quite nice. Sure, there are a few people who did not take kindly to my presence but for the most part, everybody was nice to me."

"I see. That's good. I feared the worst when we heard one of the officers in the legged ship holding you hostage but it seems that fears were misplaced. Are you excited to return back home?"

The pink-haired songstress nods her head to her. "Yes I am. I'm pretty sure father is quite worried sick about me."

Hilda snickers. Quite an understatement of the century since the last time she saw him, worried is not the word she would use to describe his sentiment. "Worried? Try frantic but I'm sure Mr. Clyne will be ecstatic and relieved to see you safe and sound."

For a moment, the two did not exchange words with Lacus looking down on her lap containing Mister Pink. Seeing the look on her face made Hilda a bit worried. Perhaps she is remembering some awful memory aboard the legged ship that she does not want to discuss with her.

"Not to be nosey or anything but what seems to be the matter, Lacus?"

"Oh there's nothing to worry about. I was just thinking about my time spent with Jack and Kira. Most especially with the former. He seems to be quite an interesting individual based on the stories he shared with me about his life. He truly is an interesting individual."

Before the orangette can say anything, the intercoms blared around the ship, requesting for her presence up in the bridge.

"Captain Harken to the bridge. I repeat, Captain Harken to the bridge."

Taking a sigh, she excused herself from Lacus's call. "I wish I can stay with you to keep you company, but duty calls."

Lacus smiles softly at her. "Oh you don't have to apologize to me. I understand that you have duties to attend to. Go before you get in trouble."

"Once this is over, hopefully I can hang out with you more but it depends on the task Commander Gladys gives me. But I'll try to make some time for you before we arrive at the PLANTs."

When Hilda left her room, Lacus decides to take a nice nap throughout the journey due to the recent events wearing her out. Lying down, she closes her eyes allowing sleep to take her.

* * *

Arriving at the _Archangel_ 's hangar, they to park their respective machines back to the charging stations. Upon their return, Jack saw from the corner of his mobile suit screen three military police guards, two armed with rifles while the third is not.

Connecting his channels to the mobile suit, he gives a set of instructions to Kira. "Kira, whatever you do, don't resist against the MPs. Anything you do will be used against us so don't try anything funny with these guys."

"Alright."

"I'll handle the talking since I have some experience with these military trials."

Disembarking from their machines, the military police calmly walked up to the two pilots who took off their helmets. "Pilots Kira Yamato and Jack Cooper, by orders of Captain Ramius, we are to escort you two to her office for a court martial session. Anything you do or say will be used against you in trial."

Not saying a word, the two followed them to Ramius's office where the court martial will be held at. Typing the code into the keypad, the door opened revealing Murrue sitting behind her desk while Mu and Natarle are on either side of the office. Looking straight at brunette captain, Jack could not help but wince at the sight of the woman looking at him with disappointment and dismay of his actions, despite the good, intended nature of his actions.

Seeing the blonde mobile armor pilot act as their lawyer in this court martial made him groan. The situation did not get any better as he notices him grinning at the two. Bastard seems to be enjoying watching them get in trouble. Great, this session will definitely go well for them.

" _Mu as our lawyer? Well shit, we're screwed. We're definitely done for._ "

The lead military police salutes before her. "Ma'am. We brought them here as you requested."

"Thank you. You may return to your duties until further notice."

"Roger that ma'am."

Leaving the office, the court martial is in session. Natarle begins with a statement about their actions in the ship. "The defendants in this court martial fail to understand how much their stunt has actually threatened the ship's safety along with the safety of others aboard this vessel. They not only released a prisoner of war from her confinement but also launched against orders to deliver them back to the ZAFT forces which falls under insubordination."

Cooper raised an eyebrow at the mention of Lacus Clyne being a prisoner of war in the ship where Murrue actually said that she is a guest and will be treated as such. "Last I heard, and if I recall correct, Miss Clyne, Chairman Siegel Clyne's daughter, is supposed to be our guest on the _Archangel_ and is to be treated as such. She is not to be treated as a POW."

"True." admitted Mu.

"Regulations make an exception to emergencies. What do you say in the defense of the accused, Lieutenant La Flaga?"

Mu clears his throat, stepping in to do his best to defend the two pilots as an acting lawyer. "Well I can't say the same thing to you, Ensign Badgiruel. Using a civilian as a hostage to get the enemy to stop is against Article 4 of the Corsica Treaty. I say you're starting to get careless."

"Careless you say? Well I don't know if you read up on your military protocols, Lieutenant La Flaga, but the actions I took come under Exception Section C of the same article named _Measures Taken During Wartime_."

Hold up a minute right there! There was an exception statement added in that article?! "There is? Exception Section C? Never even heard of it. Well I guess you can say the Nazca didn't pursue us once the exchange was over."

"Yes but the outcome could have ended differently. Especially when the CGUE from one of the ZAFT ships launched out to engage in combat against one of ours. They could have easily captured or destroyed the units."

Out of moves, the blonde lieutenant sags in his chair making the raven-haired ensign grin in victory. Cooper had to give the Hawk of Endymion a clap for his attempt to give them a lesser punishment. Despite the few moves he was given, he at least tried to maximize them the best he could. After all, it is better to try and utilize everything than nothing at all.

" _At least he tried. Better than nothing._ "

Murrue looked over to the two pilots, for a minute. As much as she does not want to sentence either of them to execution, most especially Cooper since she is starting to have feelings for him, she cannot let her personal feelings get in the way. Even if it will shatter her heart to a million pieces.

She looks over to Kira and Jack. "Pilots Jack Cooper and Kira Yamato. Do you have anything to say about your actions in regards to your unauthorized launch from the _Archangel_?"

Kira, with a zest of bravery, steps up to the plate. "Captain Ramius, Cooper didn't rescue her from the Debris Belt just for us to use her as a hostage."

Mu grins at that, closing the Earth Alliance handy-dandy military handbook. "Right, right. Cooper rescued her from the Debris Belt in hopes that you'd crawl out of your shy shell and get yourself a girlfriend. I see you Cooper. I see you playing matchmaker."

The Militia pilot snickers at the blushing face of Kira while Natarle is not amused at their antics in the middle of a court martial. Murrue sighs, shaking her head in dismay at their antics but figured Mu would say something like that in the middle of something serious.

"I-it's not like that at all…"

"Your blushing story says otherwise kid."

The two men laughed continued to snicker at the poor boy as his face continues to blush in a deeper shade of red. Well truth be told, his mind is constantly on Lacus ever since she came to the ship after her rescue from the dreaded Debris Belt. There is just something about her radiating and kind aura that makes him gravitate to her.

Before the duo can go any further in their teasing, the gorgeous _Archangel_ captain brought them back to reality. "Alright that's enough. Next time, will the defendant watch what he says. This isn't the time to be making jokes in a moment like this."

Mu just shrugs unapologetically while Natarle shakes her head at the ace pilot. Cooper, once settling down, goes up to speak with her. "Captain Ramius, I did say over at the radio broadcast that we'd take full responsibility for our actions and we will be accountable for them. So we're not running away from it."

"Captain Ramius, I only ask that you spare my friends from any punishment. We'll accept any sentence you have for us but not my friends. That's all I'm asking." added Kira.

Taking a sigh, she then announces her decision in the court martial. "I see…then it looks like the decision will be made. Kira Yamato, J-Jack Cooper, since your actions violated Article 3 Section B, Article 10 Section F, and Article 13 Section C of military law, I…have no choice but to sentence you t-to death."

Kira seems to be ready to have a heart attack any moment. For their actions, which in his mind were rightful in nature, they will be executed on the spot?! They'll be put down for returning a civilian back to the enemy's side?! His heart is beating faster in his chest as he imagines him and Cooper, side by side, blindfolded facing in front of a firing squad with their rifles raised before they fall down the moment bullets riddled their bodies. Their blood seeping on the cold floor.

Cooper, on the other hand, remains calm. Too calm in fact which garnered the attention of the three officers in the office. For him to stay calm and composed is quite strange since anybody would be scared out of their wits by receiving the death penalty. Hell, he should be trying to make up an excuse to avoid it at all costs but he did not.

" _Man, I see a few soldiers back in the EA who are act as calm as Cooper. Either he is brave or is good at hiding his fear._ " thought Mu as he looks right at the Militia pilot.

Natarle narrows her eyes at the calm pilot. " _What game is this man playing at? Doesn't he know the punishment suits him according to his crime?! He should be cowering in fear, not acting brave and tough!_ "

Cooper clears his throat before looking right at Murrue. "Captain Ramius, permission to speak."

"Go ahead."

"I know that our actions have consequences and like I said, we're accountable for them but I ask you that you perhaps give Kira a lighter sentence."

"What are you talking about? Didn't you hear-" Murrue raises her hand, silencing Natarle.

"Continue. I want to know your reasons why I should give acting Pilot Yamato a lighter sentence."

"As I was saying before, our actions have consequences which we'll take responsibility for but don't give the kid the death penalty. If I were to be executed, then fine since I used to be part of a military before becoming a mercenary. Even though I didn't officially sign a contract with you, it makes sense that I'd follow military protocols whilst having freedom on my end to do certain operations. The kid, on the other hand, isn't a fully enlisted serviceman. He's just an acting pilot for the moment, just like the other kids who are on board the vessel. Volunteers aren't the same as enlisted soldiers."

They have to admit, he is fully correct on that statement. Kira is not a fully inducted military personnel in the _Archangel_ as he is a "volunteer pilot" for the Strike until they can get a pilot to control the G-Unit in their possession. So it is true in a sense that they cannot pass the death penalty to Kira. After all, it would be considered a war crime to murder a civilian.

"Plus, the two of us were correcting a mistake the esteemed Ensign Bardgiruel made by using Lacus as a bargaining chip to ZAFT. Besides, both Kira and I had every intention to return to the _Archangel_ with our mobile suits so all we did is theft of military property which I say mitigates a less severe sentencing."

Again, he is right about the two returning their machines back to the _Archangel_ so in essence, they should not be so harsh in their sentencing.

"Pilot Cooper has made valid points in his reasons in his statements presented before me. Miss Clyne was not to be treated as a POW, thus the exception made by Ensign Badgiruel cannot be applied in this session. The only criminal act the two pilots made is theft but since their intentions were to return it back to the _Archangel_ , this is not seen as a major offense. Therefore, a warning will be issued to the both of you."

Mu slung the book behind him. "Meaning you can't do this without asking us first. Understand?"

The two agreed to it.

"Then I say this court session adjourned."

Just as the court session was done, Kira decided to fire back against Cooper for teasing and embarrassing him in front of Murrue.

"To be fair, it was his idea! He's the one who cooked up the plan! I was bullied into joining him so I was innocent!"

Silence reigned in the room before the three started to laugh, making the Militia look straight at the kid sporting a smug grin on his face. Oh now it is on brat.

Jack placed his head in a headlock position before giving him a noogie. "Come here you brat! Throwing me under the bus eh? I'll teach you some lessons about respect! Take this noogie like a man!"

The brunette teen whined in protest, flailing his arms around to get out of the headlock but Cooper did not let him go, giving it to him for a minute before letting go. Kira pouts at him while rubbing his head.

"No fair…"

"Heh, take that as a lesson to never throw me under the bus because the almighty Jack Cooper always strikes back!" He turned his attention to Mu. "As for you, man you suck big time as our lawyer, Mu."

"Well I did the best I could man! Besides, do I even look like a lawyer to you? I only graduated college with a master's degree in Finance before I got in the EA. For God's sakes, I even had to grab the freaking handbook to even know which ones I can use to defend you guys."

"Which didn't help us out, mind you."

"Ah, whatever. You still got off lightly so I wouldn't be complaining much if I were you. Still, I have to admit, during the session, Kira seems to be blushing over the pink-haired princess. Did something interesting happen during her stay here aboard the _Archangel_?"

"Oh wouldn't you like to know? Wanna hear this over at the cafeteria?"

"Hell yeah I do! Come on, give me the juicy details!"

The two pilots left the office heading straight to the cafeteria while Murrue shakes her head tiredly at those two. Honestly, they are like immature teenagers inside bodies of men! No, scratch that, they are children in the bodies of men! Ugh, she can immediately feel an incoming headache encroaching her and is really craving for some nice herbal tea to calm her nerves.

"Are they like that at all Captain Ramius?" asked Kira, sweatdropping at their antics.

"Knowing who we are dealing with here, I'm guessing they are. While they may be excellent fighters on the battlefield, they act like children off the field. Ugh, this is a pain! Regardless, my warning still stands. Understand?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Very well. You're dismissed."

Kira left the office, meeting up with Sai and Miriallia before heading to the cafeteria talking about how the trial went. Murrue begins to finish up whatever reports or other paperwork needed before heading back to the bridge.

* * *

In the _Gamow_ , Captain Zelman and the other three elite soldiers, namely Yzak, Dearka, and Nicol, are gathered around the holographic display, showcasing the intended route of the _Archangel_ and the Lunar Headquarters situated, housing the rest of the Eighth Fleet.

Normally, Zelman would take over this operation and give them a sound strategy on how to tackle their dreaded foe, the legged ship, but he decides to give Yzak the reigns over this operation. He wants to see how the young elite soldier tackles this situation. After all, he wears the red uniform for a reason.

"Bingo. We're in prime position to ambush them."

Nicol, however, seems hesitant on the uptake. "Sure, it's possible to catch up to them before they can link up with the rest of the fleet but we only have a ten-minute window here. Beyond that, we'll be in firing range of the Earth Forces' Lunar Fleet."

"You mean, a good, full ten minutes is what you're saying, Nick." comments Dearka.

Yzak snorts in amusement. "Cowards should stay silent lest they have a better idea to give on the table."

The green-haired pilot narrows his eyes at the silver head pilot. "Think about this for a minute Yzak. I'm sure you know that us alone wouldn't be enough to take on the legged ship, the legged ship's units, and the entire Eighth Fleet by ourselves without running the risk of losing power. If we do lose power, we'll be used as target practice for the Earth Forces. We may be ace pilots but we still have a long way to go if we're going to take everybody by ourselves."

The silver-haired pilot looks on the display for a minute before turning his attention to his other two comrades. "Are there ten minutes or a _full_ ten minutes? It's really how you look at the picture. My take is that we have a good full ten minutes to take the ship down before they can link up with the Eighth Fleet. If the opportunity presents itself to sink it, then we have to take it!"

The blonde pilot nods his head in agreement. "Mhm. The success of a surprise attack isn't measured by the actual time spent after all. Ten minutes is plenty of time to complete this ambush. Fuck, the legged ship and those mobile suits might not make it after one minute."

"I know but…"

"From what I heard, the _Vesalius_ will be joining us once they finish escorting the _Brandt_ carrying Miss Clyne who will be transported to Commander Laconi's ship. That gives us enough time to sink the legged ship and take out the mobile suits before that blasted Zala decides to screw things up. Got it?"

Dearka seems pumped for this mission. "Hell yeah. Let's do it! The ship's going down once and for all!"

Nicol, as always, is rather hesitant about taking this option. Yes, ten minutes is plenty of time to take out the legged ship but his teammates are currently underestimating the strength of the two units. Namely the Strike and the custom CGUE. The Strike, if manned correctly, is a deadly force to be trifled with. Sure, he witnessed some unamazing combat feats from the particular G-unit because Athrun and the Strike's pilot seem to be hesitant in fighting each other but he knows better to never underestimate it. If manned correctly, this unit can be a hard one to take out.

The custom CGUE, on the other hand, is a monster in and of itself. Their units, while deadly and significantly better than a modified mass-produced unit, were thoroughly trashed during their last encounter. It took the _Gamow'_ s mechanics quite some time to repair each of their units because of the extensive damage each one suffered. The Blitz has the shortest repair time versus that of the Buster and the Duel. Considering the strength of the custom unit, ten minutes might not be enough to take out the legged ship!

Nicol breathes a sigh of resignation to his comrades' eagerness to take out the tough Earth Alliance warship. He is definitely not going to like where this is going and he has a bad feeling about this next engagement. "I guess there's no helping it. Let's just get this done and over with."

* * *

Back in the _Archangel_ 's cafeteria, Kuzzey, and Sai are sitting next to each other while Mu and Cooper are at another table, eating and sharing stories with each other. Right over at the table where the two teenagers are sitting, Sai and Kuzzey are having a conversation.

"We've been through quite a lot but we're almost there." said Kuzzey.

Sai took a bite from his meal. "Mhm. Got that right and boy and am I relieved to have some reinforcements on our side for once."

"Still, you think they're gonna let us off the ship and head straight down to Earth? Just like that?"

"What do you mean by that Kuzzey?" asked the confused bespectacled teenager.

"Remember what Captain Ramius said to us when we met her at Heliopolis? When we stumbled upon the Strike for the first time? That we're gonna be sticking with her until she can ask the proper authorities what they'll do with us?"

Sai remembered the scene all too well. He can still remember that scene vividly as if it happened yesterday.

"Of course, how can I forget? I'm guessing the fleet, more specifically the officers, are the proper authorities in this regard."

"True but here's the thing I'm not so sure about in regards to Kira. What do you think will happen to him? Do you think they'll let him disembark the Strike despite piloting it for a short amount of time? I mean, I highly doubt they will let him go just like that. He's got involved in a lot of stuff after all."

"Well I…"

"Also, what do you think they might do to Jack and BT? I mean, they're not part of the Earth Alliance by any chance since Jack is just a mercenary who hitched a ride with us. You think they might reassign him to a different unit or area where his skills might come in handy? Or you think they might kill him and take BT to pick him apart?"

Before Sai can come up with an answer, Kira arrived in the cafeteria. The bespectacled teen motions him to stay quiet for the meantime, making sure their conversation stays between them. When he enters in the cafeteria to get something to either eat or drink, Flay comes in the mess hall. Sai and Kuzzey were quite surprised to see her come in here since the last time they saw her, she was still in bed, passed out from the shock of witnessing her father's ship explode.

Sai got up from his seat, approaching her carefully. "Flay, you alright? Shouldn't you be resting at the moment?"

The cherry-haired girl shakes her head at her fiancé. "I'll be fine Sai. First I need to talk to Kira about something."

The young lady walked up to him before stopping. Kuzzey and Sai are watching the interaction between the two, wondering what Flay might do to Kira.

"Kira, I know you're still reeling from the last engagement where I lost my father but I just want to let you know that you fought the best you could to protect us. For that, I am very thankful."

This surprised Kira one bit. To hear her say that to him is quite surprising. Still he cannot help but be a bit suspicious about her demeanor. Something seems…off about her. He looks right at her ice blue eyes to see no warmth behind those orbs but filled with bitter, revenge-driven coldness.

"O-oh. Um…thanks, I guess?"

"I know that wars are so unpleasant to fight in. War can easily tear your feelings until there's nothing left. In fact, if there's one wish I'd make, it'd be that the war would end quickly."

Alright, now the kid knows there is something definitely off here. The boy may seem like a clueless idiot but when it comes to sensing danger or hostile intent aimed at him, he is no fool. Despite the heartfelt confession she is saying, red flags are immediately starting to pop off in the back of his mind. Her words of heartfelt sincerity are laced with malice and revenge. Like she is hiding her vengeance plan behind those silky curtains of false, transparent heartfelt sincerity.

He, however, is not the only one who noticed it. Despite having a conversation with Mu, Jack was listening to their conversation. Just like Kira, he knew right off the bat her words are not so genuine. He also knew nobody could ever get over their grief in such a quick amount of time, especially one where a child loses a parent in war. Just as he feared, her words about her wishing the war to end indicates her plan in using Kira as some sort of weapon to end the conflict. Despite being a civilian from a neutral nation, he was able to pilot a mobile suit with such ease and not having to undergo any sort of military training whatsoever.

If what he assumes is true, then Kira is in big trouble and will probably have to keep a close eye on that girl to make sure she does not do anything to stress the young lad he comes to see as a small brother.

Luckily, he caught Kira's wary and suspicious glance. He gives a single wink to him, motioning him that they will talk about her strange behavior at a later time. Jack turns his attention back to Mu who got up from his seat placing his tray in the bin before the blonde pilot heads back to his seat.

"It sure was one hell of a night alright! She's quite the cutie too but unfortunately, we had to go our separate ways since we were transferred to a different unit. Melisa went down to Earth to help out with the African campaign while I was stuck fighting in space, fighting in the Grimaldi Front. Damn, now that I thought about it, I wish I got her number."

Jack snorts in amusement before getting up from his seat, placing his tray in the large bin. Suddenly, the alarms blared around the ship signifying a battle is about to commence.

"All units take level one battle stations! I repeat, all units take level one battle stations! This is not a drill. All hands, get to your stations immediately!"

"Argh shit! At a time like this?! Man these guys are so damn persistent!" Mu immediately took off the mess hall, heading straight to the pilot room to get himself changed and ready for combat. The others immediately followed suit, getting themselves back to their posts. When Kira was about to leave the mess hall, he accidentally knocked a small girl off her feet. Cooper, seeing the girl on the floor, immediately got her back up to her feet, dusting the dirt off her clothes.

"You alright kid?"

The girl grins at him. "Yup! Thanks mister!"

Jack ruffles her hair making her giggle at the affectionate gesture. "Anytime kiddo. Now be careful and make sure you're with your parents okay? We're heading straight into another battle and all of us will do whatever we can to make sure everybody in this ship is safe."

"Really?" asked the girl in awe.

"Count on it. Now go and find your family. They must be worried sick for you!"

"Right. Again, thanks for the help mister!"

The child ran off into the hallway, finding where her family is staying. Since Cooper did not change from his usual pilot gear, he bolted straight to the hangar where he boarded in BT. In the cockpit, Miriallia's face appeared on the video feed, relaying him the combat situation.

"The attacking ZAFT forces consists of one Laurasia-class ship, the _Gamow_ , and three mobile suit signatures indicating the Blitz, Duel, and Buster."

Hearing the names of those three mobile suits made him groan in frustration. "Those three are attacking us? Looks like these guys wanna go for round two."

Miriallia giggles from the other side. "Well, Pilot Cooper, you seem to be able to handle those three just fine so I don't see why you should be so worried about them. Besides, if I remember correctly, you're the one who trashed them all by yourself without needing some assistance."

"Technically, it's BT and I who did most of the work in making sure those guys aren't near the ship. I'm not going to let myself take all the credit. BT deserves some too."

" **And I thank you for your sincerity, Pilot Cooper.** " remarks BT.

The young lady rolls her eyes at him. "Mhm, whatever you say Cooper. Now with Lieutenant La Flaga and Kira by your side, the fight is easier. You only have to face one opponent. Good luck out there!"

Closing the line, Jack engaged the private channel with Kira in the Strike. Seeing his face on the video feed, Kira immediately knows what he is about to say.

"So, you want talk about what Flay said to me a while ago in the mess hall?"

"Pretty much. I noticed you immediately latched on to the red flags she's giving off."

"I know. I may be dumb in trying to read other people's feelings when it comes to romance but when it comes to danger, I'm one hundred percent on point. When she started to talk to me, her words didn't seem sincere. Not a single one of them was ever warm, but cold and bitter. Her tone sounds like that of a person craving for sweet revenge and will not stop until she gets what she wants and I fear that she has some sort of sick plot where she might use me as a means to end the enemy. You think the death of her father may have caused it?"

"Seems like it. She must've been on the bridge when she witnessed the entire ship engulf in flames."

"So what do I do now?"

"For now, just keep a close eye and, for the love God and all that is holy, don't drop your guard around her. And if she does seduce you, which I have a feeling she will if she's ever going to try and break you to conform to her plans, then either knock her out or use some sort of excuse to get yourself out of that situation."

The young man shivers in disgust. It may be an unfair assumption to say against the female Allster, but considering her cold, unpredictable demeanor, it would not be so surprising if she tries to go that route.

After all, grief, if left unchecked, can turn a person into a completely different person. Their behavior will be seen as unusual by many, out of the norm even. Next thing you know, poisonous thoughts begin to plague a person's mind, venturing in a path where they cannot escape.

"Ugh. I'd rather stay a virgin than engage in sex with her. She may be cute, but from the way she acts to me, she isn't that cute in my eyes. I still can't believe I was actually attracted to her in the first place."

"Don't blame yourself kid. You haven't seen her true personality at first so it was natural for you to be attracted. Still, I can see why you said you wanted to say a virgin. You're probably wanting to save your first time for Lacus, isn't it?"

This time, Kira blushed. "I-I-I don't know what you mean, Jack. I certainly have no clue what you're talking about!"

"Don't play the dumb card on me, kid. I'm pretty sure you had a couple…naughty dreams about your pink-haired princess in your sleep."

His face continued to turn into a deeper shade of red which made Jack chuckle at him. "Not denying it, I see? Certainly you're coming a long ways from the shy kid I used to know."

"Ugh, I'm pretty sure you have dirty dreams about our captain whom you love to tease."

"True, I do have some fantasies of the sexy captain Murrue Ramius, but at least I'm not denying it like you were a while ago. Besides, I told her that I'm fine with having sex but one or two dates before we get into some sexy-time fun, which I'm sure you'll be doing in the near future."

The young pilot rolls his eyes at him. "Whatever you say Cooper. So what are we looking at here?"

"Luckily, we're not facing a large squad of mobile suits like last time so that's good news. Bad news is, we'll be facing those three G-units from the _Gamow_ , namely the Blitz, Buster, and Duel."

"Those three guys? Oh man, this is gonna be rough."

"At least you didn't have to fight them all by yourselves. Besides, we have Mu on the field with us so we're gonna be fighting our own opponents. Just make sure you don't try to hold back on any of them because unlike your previous engagements with Athrun, these guys aren't hesitant and are determined to destroy us. Understand?"

"Loud and clear."

"Good man."

Closing the line, Cooper launched from the catapult with modified MMI-M7S machine gun, the vulcan shield, and the modified broadsword. Kira soon followed behind him, equipped with the Alie Striker Pack.

Catching up with Mu on the field, they see the Buster, Blitz, and Duel come together in a close triangular formation, before splitting off as a pair of highly-concentrated streaks of emerald energy beams come dashing at them. Kira, Mu and Jack dodged the incoming energy beams only to watch them hit the _Archangel_ 's port side. Thankfully, the ship is

"Will you look at that? Using their mobile suits to conceal the ship's firing position. Very cute indeed." Connecting his radio channel to Jack's, he calls him about his designated target. "Hey Cooper! I call the Buster!"

"Suit yourself. Kira, you take the Duel while I take the Blitz. I have a feeling the Blitz is gonna be a pain in the ass to fight!"

"Right!"

With that, the Strike, the Moebius Zero, and the custom CGUE split off to engage their targets. The orange mobile armor made a beeline into the Buster, disengaging the gun barrel pods from the main unit. With all of the gun barrel pods placed into position, the pods begin to rain down on the Buster. Some of the shots landed on the G-unit but to Mu's surprise, the machine did not show any signs of damage whatsoever. The worst it did was give it some burn stains on the armor but other than that, it was relatively undamaged.

"The hell is this? Shouldn't this unit be having some holes right about now?" asked a stunned Mu.

Dearka, on the other hand, just grins from his cockpit. "Those gun barrels, while cute, are damn useless against a mobile suit such as this. You'll need a lot more firepower than that to destroy me! Let's see if you can dodge this!"

The Buster immediately fired a couple rounds from the high energy rifle which the main Moebius Zero unit and the gun barrel pods dancing around it before returning fire. Despite the Buster harassing it with its suppressive fire, the orange mobile armor is still able to gain a nice firing position on the G-unit.

"You may have impressive armor but you're not invincible. Everything has a weakness after all. Let's see if you can handle another dosage of firepower."

With all of its gun barrel pods in position, the orange unit begins another barrage of hell on the Buster. The G-unit was able to avoid a few shots but for the most part, the artillery unit stayed in its position. Opening up its missile pods, it fired a barrage of missiles at the nimble mobile armor before backing away. The gun barrel pods were able to shoot down a good portion of them before assembling themselves back on the main unit.

"Tch, you're quite a pesky fly aren't ya? Alright, two can play that game." Combining its two rifles into the hyper impulse long-range sniper rifle configuration, the Buster pulled the trigger, releasing a single stream of high-powered energy. Mu dodged it, though barely before he flew around the battlefield for another pass.

"Oh you're not going away that easily!" Dearka fired the Buster's gun launcher, releasing a widespread of shells at the flying Moebius Zero. Mu swerved around the large stream of shells before disengaging the gun barrel pods to hit the unit. As Dearka danced around the incoming fire, Mu flanked around the field to hit him from behind. Once in position, he fired the incoming shot only for the Buster to fly up. The shot traveled towards Cooper who is engaging the Blitz in a shootout.

"Shit! Cooper watch out!"

Cooper activated the Vortex Shield grabbing the incoming shot in its magnetic shield. He directed the projectile to the stealth unit before bull rushing said unit. While engaging the Blitz, Cooper got on his comms to yell at Mu for friendly fire.

"Were you trying to kill me, Mu?"

"My bad Cooper but my opponent here seems to be quite the quick one despite the heavy weapons it's equipped with."

"Alright but make sure you don't try to kill me. Last thing I need is to be taken out by my wingman here."

"Hehehe, don't worry about it. That's just gonna be a one-time thing."

Cooper closed his comms to concentrate on his fight against the Blitz. During his engagement against the stealth unit, he can see some improvement on the enemy pilot's part. Sure, he was able to get quite a few hits here and there but for the most part, the pilot is able to dodge the incoming shots.

"This pilot definitely showed quite an improvement versus the last fight we had. Still, let's see what this unit is capable of."

Grabbing his sword, Cooper and BT dashed right at the Blitz, ready to engage in some close quarter combat. The Blitz fired a couple shots from its beam rifle but Cooper danced around them with beautiful grace. Within striking distance, the custom CGUE raised its arm to strike the Blitz with its broadsword but was blocked within a split second using its shield. Sparks continue to emanate from the friction between the shield and the sword before disengaging each other.

Jack bull rushed the unit, firing the modified electrical machine gun on one servo while readying the broadsword with its other servo. The black stealth unit blocked it with its shield before firing three energy rounds down range. Like before, Cooper danced around the beams before engaging in another close quarter combat duel. This time, the Blitz unleashes its beam saber from the tip of its Trikeros shield before meeting the blade of the modified broadsword.

Much to Nicol's surprise, the beam saber did not melt the blade as he would expect since most of the broadswords from the CGUEs and GINNs would melt instantly upon contact but it looks like the pilot modified the blade to resist the high concentration of energy stored in beam sabers.

"The pilot of this custom unit is definitely full of surprises. An anti-beam broadsword that can withstand the effects of beam sabers? Still, that doesn't mean I don't have any up in my sleeve. Let's see how he handles Mirage Colloid."

The two continued to struggle in their sword fight, pushing their blades against each other as they try to see who can gain the upper hand. The two disengaged each other before clashing again, trading a few blows here and there before the Blitz pulled back from the fight. Nicol activated the Mirage Colloid system, cloaking itself until it is no longer in sight before heading to the _Archangel_ to get some shots on the ship.

"See if you can catch up to me, mysterious pilot."

As Nicol was nearing the white warship, Cooper flies around the battlefield, shooting randomly around space to see if he is able to hit the stealth unit but to no avail, he did not see the unit materialize around the field.

"Dammit, this is pointless. BT, can you track the unit's signature around here? He can't be that far from the field."

BT immediately did a perimeter scan while Cooper flies close to the Archangel to make sure the concealed enemy cannot land a shot on the warship. After a few minutes of searching, BT's results come up empty, much to Cooper's dismay.

" **Negative. It seems the Blitz is installed with a cloaking system which prevents my scans from detecting its signature.** "

" _Dammit. I knew the Blitz was gonna be a pain in the ass to fight. At least with cloak drones, you can pinpoint an enemy Titan's location since they just hover over them._ " Connecting his channel to the _Archangel_ , he asks for assistance on the field. " _Archangel_ , this is Jack. I've lost the Blitz since it activated some sort of cloaking system, preventing BT from tracking its signature. You have some sort of anti-cloaking missile or something to weed out the rascal?"

"The Blitz activated its Mirage Colloid system. Don't worry, the _Archangel_ is equipped with an armament to counter its stealth system." remarks Murrue.

Cooper grins at that. "Thanks for the assistance honey bunny. Definitely appreciate it."

Murrue blushes beet red at the affectionate nickname before closing the line making Jack snicker at her cute face. The Militia duo flew up near the _Archangel_ as it opened a couple missile pods containing anti-beam depth charges to prevent the Blitz from damaging the warship. Cooper immediately readies his rifle, ready to fire back at a moment's notice.

A second later, the Blitz fired a few beams at the warship only for the beams to deflect from its course. Cooper immediately fired a torrent of electrical lead roughly where he estimates the Blitz to be located. Much to his dismay, the unit did not deactivate its Mirage Colloid.

" _This is definitely one of those times I wished those ZAFT forces didn't get their grubby hands on EA tech. I wouldn't be struggling this badly on the field._ "

The _Archangel_ roughly estimated the Blitz's current position based on the beams it fired before unleashing a couple warheads containing anti-air shrapnel. Nicol at first did not bother to reactivate its Phase Shift since they were just warheads until he sees the casings of the warheads carrying anti-air shrapnel darts. Knowing that his unit is most vulnerable in its cloaked state since it turns off its Phase Shift Armor, he quickly activated it, using the Blitz's Trikeros shield to block the incoming darts.

"How can I possibly forget about it? Of course, they'd know the unit's weakness since it was theirs to begin with."

When the barrage ceased, Nicol quickly activated the Mirage Colloid again only to find the _Archangel_ quickly firing its CIWS machine guns around the perimeter, covering the entire area of space with lead.

"Tch, I can't get passed that lead wall there. It'll tear up the unit's armor to pieces."

Deactivating it, he was quickly bomb-rushed by the raging CGUE unit like an angry bull ready to skewer the matador in the bull ring. He tried to avoid the raging mobile suit but was too slow in the uptake. The custom unit quickly threw a punch, throwing the stealth mobile suit back before unleashing a hailstorm of electric lead right at it. The Blitz blocked it with the Trikeros shield but the custom CGUE did not let up its assault as it neared his machine within striking distance before using its broadsword to strike said mobile suit. The Blitz blocked it with the shield but the custom unit, trying to block the flurry of random strikes as it tries to lob off a limb or two.

Having enough of the overwhelming onslaught, the Blitz pushed the custom CGUE unit back before firing a few beams only for the unit to dance around the shots before retaliating with another hailstorm of lead. The Blitz blocked the incoming bullets but the electrified lead is starting to bore holes into his armament just like their last engagement.

Activating the comms, Cooper complimented the enemy pilot for that Mirage Colloid system. "Nifty cloaking ability pilot. Really nifty indeed. You know you were giving me quite a challenge when you decided to pull it but here's the thing about me. I like challenging opponents since it gives me every reason to do my best! Now that I have one, I'm gonna harass you until you drop for good!"

Cooper immediately loaded another magazine in the machine gun before rushing at the mobile suit again. Nicol grits his teeth in frustration since his opponent is not making it easier on him to land an attack on the legged ship.

"I need to figure out a way to get around this guy before we lose the opportunity to attack the legged ship! He's not making this easier on me!"

As Jack was busy chasing the Blitz away from the _Archangel_ while harassing it with continuous fire, the Strike and the Duel are engaged in a deadlock. The two units are engaging each other in a shootout, trying to hit the other's mobile suit but to no avail. Whenever one would fire its beam rifle, the other would dodge or block it with their shields before lobbing their own down range.

Kira flew back a bit as the Duel continues to hammer out more rounds down range. " _I have to keep the Duel back at all costs and prevent it from hitting the Archangel! I can't let him destroy everybody aboard the ship! I can't fail like last time! I can't!_ "

Memories of the _Montgomery_ erupting in flames before his very eyes made him grip the controls harder but he quickly shook it away as he refocuses on the task at hand.

" _No Kira! Remember what Jack taught you back in day one. Focus on the task at hand. I can't let that memory haunt me! Not while I'm battle! My main assignment is to prevent the Duel from attacking the Archangel to the best of my abilities!_ "

The teenage pilot fired back, shooing at the persistent Duel. The Duel flew in a zig-zag position before unleashing another torrent of energy right at the Strike.

"Dammit! Fall already Strike! You're getting my way!"

The Duel continued to unleash more rounds until the Strike had enough. Maneuvering around the beams, the Strike retaliated by unleashing a torrent of emerald energy down at the Duel, making said unit raise its shield up to block the incoming shots.

"Tch, if you're going to be stubborn about it, then I have no choice in the matter."

Yzak quickly holsters the Duel's beam rifle before grabbing its beam saber. Once the pink blade is out, he immediately dashes right at the Strike.

"Dammit!" Kira frantically fires a few more shots at the Duel, with the unit blocking it with its shield as it tries to close the distance. Once it was near within close quarters distance, the G-unit slashed the Strike's beam rifle, rending the primary range armament useless. Flying back to gain some distance, he unleashes the beam saber before the two exchange blows with each other.

Kira and Yzak continuously exchanged some clashes with each other before both of them struck their beam sabers on their shields.

"Today's the day that I'll get you, Strike! Zala's an idiot for not trying to take you down but no matter. I'll be the one who'll correct his mistake once and for all! So die!"

Kira grits his teeth as he does not let up from the struggle. "You're not going to get me today! I won't let myself be defeated here and you're not going to destroy the _Archangel_!"

Turning away from the two G-units dueling against each other, the Moebius Zero and the Buster are engaging in their own little shootout.

"Argh, this mobile armor shouldn't be hard to take out yet it keeps on moving around to get the flank on me! This guy's definitely a pest!"

Dearka immediately configures the Buster's two rifles into the anti-armor shotgun before unleashing a huge load of shells at the speedy Moebius Zero. The orange mobile armor unit dodged around the wide spread of the shells before unleashing all four of its gun barrel pods. The four pods immediately flew around the artillery G-unit before firing its massive torrent of heavy fire upon the Buster.

The G-unit immediately unleashes another barrage of missiles, hoping to at least get one of the gun barrel pods down. Luckily, the unit got its wish because one of the missiles destroyed one pod in the process.

Mu recalled all of his gun barrel pods before any of them got destroyed. "Shit! I lost gun barrel pod 3! Murdoch's gonna be pissed at me."

Dearka, on the other hand, grins in victory. "Finally, I got one of those pesky gun pods out of the way! I'm not gonna let this annoying mobile armor get the best of me!"

Just as Dearka was about to engage with the Moebius Zero, Nicol's machine stood next to his as it tries to deflect the incoming electrical hailstorm of lead down range with its Trikeros shield. Nicol fires the Blitz's Gleipnir anchor to drive the unit away, which it did, before recalling it back to its arm.

"Nicol, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be hitting the legged ship?"

"I'm trying to, but this guy isn't making this easier on me. He pushing me back against the wall."

Dearka fired the high energy beam rifle to drive away the Moebius Zero as it tries to get a bead on the two. "Then why don't you try and use that cloaking ability to get pass him?"

"I did but the legged ship will fire its CIWS around the area. Not to mention, the custom CGUE pilot knows where I am the moment I activated the Mirage Colloid."

Before Dearka can say anything, Cooper immediately uses the Burst Core ability to get some damage on the two units. Loading a few new magazine in the modified MMI-M7S machine gun, the man immediately unleashes a huge storm of lightning at the two G-units.

The two redcoat pilots tried to dodge the incoming salvo of lead, but just like before, the bullets began to puncture some holes into their armor, decreasing the effectiveness of the Phase Shift armor. After a few seconds of unrelenting fire, the hailstorm ceased.

Again, like the last engagement, electrical sparks begin to course through the frames of the G-units as the electric lead immediately punctures through the armor as if it were a knife through butter. Mu sat there, stunned to see Jack and BT able to dish out some damages to those two stolen prototypes utilizing some sort of electrical barrage ability while he struggled to make a dent on the Buster.

Getting on his comms, Mu just had to ask the resident mercenary how he was able to do it. "Cooper! How was it possible for you to be able to inflict damage on those two while I try to make a dent with these gun barrel pods?"

"Those units are equipped with Phase Shift Armor. It renders ballistic weapons, such as your gun barrel pods, useless thanks to the electricity coating which prevents it from taking further damage. However, you can easily overpower the PS Armor system by using either beam weaponry or electrical weaponry like I'm using right here. Ballistic weapons take a bit longer since you have to use a number of hits on the armor but will eventually overpower it."

Mu smacks his helmeted head at the immediate knowledge Cooper gave him. "Well damn, no wonder why I haven't made a single dent on that mobile suit. Say, can you perhaps, help me modify my gun barrel pods to dish out the same damage as yours?"

Before Jack can say anything, the Blitz immediately used its chance to engage its Mirage Colloid and dash right at the _Archangel_. The Buster provided some covering fire, using its gun launcher on the two enemy units. The CGUE and the Moebius Zero got out of the way before regrouping back together.

"Jack! I'll take it from here."

"You sure? You're down to three gun barrel pods instead of the usual four. You sure you can take on the Buster?"

"Yeah, I'm good. Now go take the other unit down. Might be nearing the _Archangel_ as we speak."

"Right! Gotta go!"

Cooper immediately dashed from the two as he makes way to the _Archangel_. Dearka tries to take him out from combat using the high energy rifle only for Mu to immediately disengage the gun barrel pods and rain some suppressive fire to prevent him from taking out the Militia pilot. A couple shots from the gun barrel pods damaged the Buster further making the blonde pilot retreat a couple feet from the Moebius Zero.

"Your eyes should be on me, not the other pilot. Now, with your suit damaged, let's see how much more your unit can handle before it enters in its doomed state."

The Buster and the Moebius Zero continued their dangerous tango with the former now at a disadvantage thanks to Cooper damaging it via the Burst Core. While they continue to fight, Cooper saw the Blitz disengage its Mirage Colloid, firing shots right at the base of the _Archangel_ 's bridge.

As Cooper continues to near the Archangel, Murrue's face immediately pops in the video feed. "Jack! The Blitz is attacking _Archangel_ 's bridge! For now, it's taking minimal damage due to the armor but it'll only hold out a bit before it starts taking heavy damage!"

"No worries, Murrue! I'm on my way!"

Once Jack is near the Blitz, he immediately fires his machine gun right at the damaged unit causing the stealth unit to fly back from the incoming lead hailstorm. Landing on the deck, the custom CGUE immediately charges right at the Blitz in terrifying speed as if a demon took over the mech ready to eliminate its target in the most brutal way possible. The Blitz immediately unleashed its beam saber before meeting up with the custom mass-produced unit. The two units engaged in a sword fight in front of the bridge, sparks emanating from the friction between the two blades before disengaging each other. The two flew back at each other, clashing their blades a few more times before landing on the deck of the _Archangel_ to continue their clash.

"You're not going to get another lucky shot! Not while I'm here!"

The Militia duo dashed right at the black unit before taking a swing of their broadsword only for the Blitz to avoid and swing its beam saber right at the custom unit. Jack and Cooper dashed to the side before bull rushing the prototype. The Blitz fired a couple beams at the rushing unit but the custom unit used its anti-beam coated vulcan shield to block the shots before using its blade to cut the arm holding the Gleipnir anchor. Due to the damage inflicted on the Blitz thanks to the Burst Core, severing the arm unit was not a big problem for him.

The Blitz flew back from the _Archangel_ 's deck before facing the bridge. The pilot fired all three of its lancer darts, hoping to destroy the bridge but, much to Nicol's dismay and frustration, Jack flew up just in time to use the Vortex Shield to prevent the lancer darts from making contact on the bridge.

"As I said, you won't get another lucky shot at the _Archangel_. Not while I'm here."

Jack fired the lancer darts back at the Blitz, who dodged it, before firing another volley of electric lead at the offending unit. The G-unit tried to block some of them but could not since the unit is taking some damage in the process and his power is depleting down to thirty percent.

Before anything could happen, out of nowhere, the Strike immediately popped up from behind and kicked the Blitz off the _Archangel_ , sending the unit flying down. The Duel chased after the unit with its beam rifle, firing a couple shots at the Strike.

"Tch, stubborn bastard is here? Argh, these guys are really the annoying bunch."

Cooper fired a few shots at the Duel only for the machine to block them with its shield before returning its attention on the Strike. The machine fired a couple shots from its beam rifle but before any of them could land on the Strike, the machine swerved around them in a calculated, perfect and precise manner. The Militia pilot's eyes widened behind his helmet as he noticed the perfect calculated moves the G-unit was doing. Almost as if Kira is predicting where and when the Duel pilot is going to fire.

Cooper decided to aid Kira by providing a distraction for him. Loading a new magazine, Cooper fired a few more distracting shots to garner the Duel's attention. It worked perfectly as it now focuses on the custom CGUE unit. Kira decided to use this chance to damage the blue unit. Swinging the beam saber, he grazed it at the side of the Duel's cockpit. Stowing the beam saber away, Kira quickly grabbed a single Schneider knife from the side compartment before jamming it right at the hole to further damage the Duel from retaliating.

The power surge within the mobile suit exploded, sending shards of shrapnel right at Yzak's face, cracking the glass of his pilot helmet. The elite pilot clutches his face as hot searing pain surges on his face while blood starts pouring from the wounds.

Nicol came to the aid of his comrade, connecting his channel to his. "Yzak! Are you okay?"

"Argh it burns! IT BURNS! ARGH!"

The green-haired pilot spots a couple flares flashing in space. Knowing the fleet is about to come in and aid the _Archangel_ , he tells Dearka to retreat. "Dearka! Yzak's injured and needs some immediate medical attention! We're out of time!"

"Wha? But…dammit. I'll cover the retreat while you bring Yzak back to the _Gamow_."

"Understood."

The three G-units retreated from the battlefield, with the Buster in front to provide some covering fire, if needed. Once the three units are out of sight, the Strike landed itself on the deck of the _Archangel_.

Jack examined the Strike unit closely. Despite Kira being a civilian who just piloted the Strike for a short amount of time, the movements he displayed are on a completely different level. Those moves do not resemble those of an experienced pilot but something else entirely. Almost superhuman.

Not even the most experienced pilots in the Militia can match those moves Kira pulled in battle. He tried to scavenge in his memory which of the famous pilots can match up with the lad only to find none. Probably Sarah Briggs but even then, her moves are nowhere near Kira's superhuman reflexes. In fact, they are light years apart!

" _Something must've triggered in the kid to pull something like this. Not even the Militia's best pilots, be it army or mercenary, can pull it off like he did. There's something in him but question is, what is it?_ "

Before Cooper can say anything to the boy, Mu chimed in on the comms. "Holy shit Kira! That was some amazing work out there! You were able to land a hit on one of those units! I'm quite impressed!"

"Uh what do you mean by that Lieutenant La Flaga?" asked a confused Kira.

"You don't remember what you just did back there? You tossed those two around like a bunch of rookies with those sweet moves man!"

"Um…not really. One minute I was fighting the Duel and then the next, something snapped and I don't remember."

Cooper then stepped in the conversation. "Kira, you did a fantastic job in defending the ship. You're quite remarkable. No, unbelievable."

Kira gave the two pilots a modest, humble smile. "Thanks, but I'm not really that amazing. I can't take all the credit since you two are quite remarkable in your own rights."

"Still, you have to give some credit to yourself. You focused on the task at hand and did a fantastic job. Congratulations are indeed an order."

The brunette pilot smiled at the praise he is getting. "Thank you, Jack and Mu."

Murrue got in the comms to tell the three pilots about the great news they received. "Pilots Cooper, La Flaga, and Yamato. I have some great news to share with you all. We received a transmission from the Eighth Fleet that they are coming over to link up with us and escort us to the base."

Mu cheered at the great news. "Man what a relief! Thank God for reinforcements. Now I can rest easy."

"I agree with Lieutenant La Flaga on this one." chimed Kira.

"Alright you guys. Let's head back in the hangar to place our units in their recharging stations before the fleet can link up with us."

"Sounds like a great idea. Come on, kid. Let's head back in."

The three units went inside the _Archangel_ as the warship moved up to link up with the Eighth Fleet.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Man that was quite the adventure right there. Funny thing is that it took me two days to finish up writing the entire chapter. I do not know if three days can count because I am just here to do some editing and revising in a couple places but nonetheless, it took me two days to finish this up.**

 **Now let us talk about a major thing that happened in this chapter. I decided to make Kira a bit more observant and guarded around Flay. We all know that she has a negative attitude towards Coordinators, and with the death of her father in the _Montgomery_ , it only increased the hatred all the more. Her grief turned her into a more vengeful person, wanting all Coordinators dead by using Kira as a means to end them. And Kira is completely oblivious to that fact. That is the one gripe I have with the series is that they made Kira into an oblivious idiot who does not know that Flay is trying to get her plans to kill all Coordinators in this war in motion. So I made him observant and guarded around her. Besides, any person can pick up the red flags she is popping off when her demeanor changed. Hell, if this were real life, I am pretty sure Kira would pick up the hostile intent she carries with her. **

**So thankfully, I corrected that mistake. And besides, Cooper will make sure she does not try and hurt his little brother figure since he already experienced a lot on his plate and he does not need Flay's scheming personality to add more to his troubles.**

 **Other than that, we are here to head straight into the Eighth Fleet's Lunar Headquarters. One thing I am going to do is to have Admiral Halberton live instead of heading straight to his doom. I will have to try and work a couple things to make sure Halberton is with the _Archangel_ crew. I am also introducing a new character, a pilot in the next chapter but do not worry, it is not an OC. Rather, it is somebody from Gundam SEED Astray. I will not tell you who it is because it will ruin the surprise but it will be somebody from the Astray series that will join up with the _Archangel_. And I also decided that this person will be Mu's significant other. So look forward to that. **

**But yeah, I think that's about it. Hopefully you guys enjoyed this chapter and do please leave a review on the review section to see if there is a mistake I need to correct in this chapter. No flames please because I will definitely use those to make some nice, roasted human barbecue.**

 **Welcome 2019 and let us hit this new year off with a bang!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

 **A/N:**

 **Hey guys, this is Giriko-99 bringing you a new chapter of Mobile Suit Titan SEED. The** _ **Archangel**_ **crew is now finally linked up with the Eighth Fleet after beating back the attack from the Le Creuset Team. Yzak gets injured by Kira with his plans blowing up in his face in epic proportions.**

 **Literally.**

 **Anyways, as I mentioned last chapter, I made Kira guarded and wary around Flay since the cherry-haired girl will no doubt try to do whatever she can to get him wrapped around her finger. Yeah, not gonna happen while Cooper is around. He will make sure she will not try and do anything drastic to make the boy distressed.**

 **Second, I will make sure Admiral Halberton stays with the** _ **Archangel**_ **crew while the third matter in this chapter is adding a character from Gundam SEED Astray who will be Mu's significant other.**

 **Legend:**

 **Hello – BT-7274 Speaking**

 _ **Hello**_ **– Thoughts, or flashback.**

 **Hello** **– Radio communications, news media outlet.**

 **Disclaimer: Titanfall belongs to Respawn Entertainment while Gundam SEED belongs to Sunrise and directed by Mitsudo Fukuda.**

* * *

 _Jack Davidson Cooper's Log Book 3.1_

 _Man, it took us quite a while to link up with the Eighth Fleet. This is the one thing I hate about the Archangel. The speed of the engines is just painfully slow. Dammit, it's slower than a turtle! Sure, the warship may have some sweet guns and cool armor but the engine is a 1/10 ratings. If this were a Militia ship, we would've reached the Eighth Fleet in about half a day. Probably in one day even._

 _How long did it take us to reach the Eighth Fleet in the Archangel? I'd probably guess a good three weeks! Probably even more than that! Kinda ironic since the Cosmic Era, which is considered advanced by many, couldn't even create FTL engines. Hell, they haven't even colonized a single exoplanet for crying out loud!_

 _Scratch that, everything in this so-called "advanced era" of humanity is behind the times! But I'll give them credit. They were able to create mobile suits, or as I like to call them, gigantic ass-Titans, that can fight in space. Our Titans are made to fight on the ground never in the air or space. Well…I guess Viper can be the exception since his Northstar Titan is equipped with some jetpack of sorts that allows him fly around the air for longer periods of time or his Titan is equipped with a modified Flight Core that can allow him to stay in the air for longer periods of time._

 _Despite the credit, they're still behind the times! I mean, have you seen the cockpit of the mobile suits?! So many buttons, joysticks, pedals argh! It's like they're manning a space fighter, not a combat machine!_

 _I'm getting off track here. Kira, Sai, Tolle, Miriallia, Flay, Kuzzey, and the other civies on board are relieved to see the Eighth Fleet. Looks like they'll be getting their wish to head back to Earth and resume their lives as normal. I'm pretty sure the kids will take the opportunity to leave the Archangel and pick up where they left off in their lives._

 _Just the thought of Kira leaving the ship makes me sad. I know the kid doesn't want to join the military and continue living a quiet life but I dunno. I've grown to like the kid with the short amount of time we've spent together on this ship. He's like the little bro I never had._

 _Still, if he wants to leave, then who am I to stop him? After all, it's his choice, not mine. Though I can't help but be nervous about my situation. I wonder what they'll do when they realize that not only am I a non-contracted mercenary on board the ship but also knowing the G-Project from the very beginning. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what they'll do to me._

 _Jack Cooper, Pilot of BT-7274, 41st Militia Rifle Battalion._

* * *

The _Vesalius_ and the _Brandt_ are parked on either side of the Laurasia-class ship, the _Nebula_ which belongs to Commander Laconi. Inside the _Brandt_ 's hangar, two shuttles are parked next to each other. One belonging to the _Vesalius_ and the other belonging to the _Nebula_. Athrun and Commander Gladys along with the members of the Harken Team, escort Lacus Clyne to the _Nebula_ 's shuttle which will take her back to the PLANTs.

As they approach the transport's doors, Athrun and Lacus are having a conversation with each other.

"A shame really. It's too bad we'll be leaving on our own merry ways after we finally saw each other." said Lacus.

"I know you don't like it Lacus, but everybody in the PLANTs are worried about you. Most especially your father. I can already imagine him having sleepless nights fearing much about your safety."

The gentle pink-haired songstress giggles at her fiancé. "Oh don't worry, Athrun. I'm pretty sure father will be happy to see me once I head back to the PLANTs."

Approaching the shuttle's doors, two green coat soldiers and Commander Gladys saluted to Mister Clyne's daughter.

"Thank you so much for making me feel comfortable during my stay in your ship, Commander Gladys."

The blonde-haired woman smiles at her. "No need to thank me Miss Clyne. After all, your father and I are friends so it's right for me to make sure your stay on our ship is comfortable and cozy as possible. Onto other notes, we'll escort the _Nebula_ to make sure you're in the PLANTs safe and secured.

"Thank you, Commander Gladys." She turns to look to her fiancé. "Will the _Vesalius_ be back for the memorial services?"

"I'm not so sure, Lacus. Commander Le Creuset wants us to link up with the _Gamow_ once you're in the _Nebula_ with Commander Laconi. Our mission to hunt down the legged ship is still important."

Lacus nods in understanding. "I see. I'm sure mission results are important but please do not forget about the people who sacrificed their lives along the way okay?"

"Of course I wouldn't forget it! You have my word for it."

Lacus smiles before parting Athrun with some words for him to reflect on. "What is it that one should be fighting against? War makes that question difficult to answer."

The words struck Athrun as he watches her board the shuttle. With the doors closed, the _Brandt_ 's hangar doors opened up allowing the shuttle to leave the Nazca-class ship. Athrun entered in the other shuttle as he silently reflects on the words she parted him with.

" _What is it that we should be fighting against? I wonder what you mean by that, Lacus?_ "

* * *

In another part of space, above the planet Earth, about a dozen or so ships of the Eighth Orbital Fleet belonging to the Earth Alliance assembled themselves to greet the sojourning _Archangel_ in its arms.

As the warship continues to move forward to link up with the Eighth Fleet, cheers of joy and glee can be heard throughout the vessel. This is nothing to be surprised of since the refugees aboard are ecstatic to finally leave the warship once and for all. Quite an understandable reaction since these civilians are not used to military regulations and rules, and are already sick and tired of them. The sooner they get off this stinking vessel, the better because they want to resume their lives without having to worry about combat situations.

The crew, on the other hand, are celebrating because they can finally get the supplies, and, hopefully with fingers crossed, some crew members to aid them. Not to mention, they can finally have some reinforcements to fight against ZAFT without having to worry about beating back some enemy mobile suits and ships trying to sink them.

Up in the bridge, Romero Pal receives an incoming transmission signal from the _Menelaos_. "Captain Ramius! The Agamemnon-class, _Menelaos_ , is hailing us. Patch them through?"

"Patch him through, Crewman Pal. That's Admiral Halberton's ship."

Typing a couple codes on the computer screen, Duane Halberton's face appears through the video screen. "Ah Murrue! It's a pleasure to see you once again."

The brunette woman smiles at her mentor. "The same can be said for you as well, Admiral Halberton. As much as I want to catch up on old times, we have other business to attend to. We're not quite sure where to link up with the rest of the fleet. What are your orders sir?"

"Turn 180 degrees. Reduce speed to another 20% to match the velocity with the other ships in the fleet. Link up with my ship, the _Menelaos_ and we'll go from there."

"Affirmative sir. We'll get it done."

Closing the link, the crew members did as they were instructed getting the _Archangel_ in position with the _Menelaos_. While they are sailing their ship right next to Halberton's, Arnold turned around to look at the captain with a hesitant look on his face.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to sail right beside the _Menelaos_? Especially this close to him? I mean, if ZAFT has some sort of death wish to attack us and they see us right next to him, it might place the admiral in big jeopardy."

"It's fine, Ensign Neumann. Admiral Halberton probably wants to take a closer look at the ship. Probably inspect it to see if he can do anything about with some of our current problems aboard the ship. Ensign Badgiruel, I want you with me in the lift to meet up with him."

When the two officers left the bridge via elevator lift, the rest of the crew members are having a conversation about the famed Eighth Fleet Admiral Halberton and what he might be like to meet him in person for the first time.

"Oh man! To meet him in person is a dream come true! I can finally cross it off my bucket list!" said Jackie in glee.

Dalila sighs at his colleague's excitement. "Geez, Jackie. You meeting Admiral Halberton is one of those bucket item list things you have? I get it that you're excited, and so is everybody else around here, but you don't need to get yourself so overly excited about it."

"Still, you gotta agree with Jackie here, Delila! I always what he's like in person." added Romero.

"I dunno know about you guys, but I have a feeling Admiral Halberton is probably some EA higher up who'd probably want to have his hands on the _Archangel_ 's buttons." remarks Arnold.

Jackie daydreaming ended when he heard his dismissive remark. He glared at the _Archangel_ 's pilot. "Hey that was definitely uncalled for! Don't mistake him with Garcia! Slimeball ain't nothing like Admiral Halberton."

Kuzzey, Tolle, Miriallia and Sai, wonder what makes Admiral Halberton so unique from the rest of the other Earth Alliance admirals. "Mr. Chandra, what is Admiral Halberton like? I mean, we don't know much about him since we're new here on the job." asked Sai as the three teenagers gathered around him.

"Er…well from what I heard from Captain Ramius, he's a big supporter of the _Archangel_ 's creation along with advancing mobile suit technology for the EA. If memory serves me right, he's the one who dubbed the project, the G-Project with the Strike being one of the five units created from it. She also told me that the admiral is her mentor in the military academy before the war started so you can see why Captain Ramius is really excited to see him."

The four teenagers were in awe at the information pertaining to Eighth Fleet admiral. Not only was he a proponent for the creation of these two grand projects but also a mentor for Captain Ramius during her days in the military academy. It is no wonder she is so ecstatic to see him again.

"Wow, this guy must be something if he's a teacher to Captain Ramius." comments Tolle.

"Indeed but regardless, let's head down to the hangar bay to meet up with Admiral Halberton. Despite every one of you being volunteers, you're still part of the crew so make sure you look sharp for the inspection okay?" said Arnold.

Trailing from the bridge down to the hallway leading to the _Archangel_ 's hangar, we find Murrue and Natarle talking to each other about what they are going to do about the two pilots.

"Now that we're meeting with Admiral Halberton, what are we going to do with the Strike and the custom CGUE?" asked Natarle.

She tilts her head while look at her with an inquisitive look on her face. "Plan to do? What do you mean, Natarle?"

"I know you know, Captain Ramius, that everybody aboard this ship recognizes we've been able to make it this far in our journey to rendezvous with the Eighth Fleet thanks to the capabilities of the two machines along with the pilots manning their respective units."

Knowing what Natarle is talking about, she opted to remain silent.

"Are you perhaps letting them go, Captain Ramius?"

Stopping in her tracks, she looks at Natarle straight in the eye, not liking how her second in command is viewing them as tools. "I see what you're trying to say, Natarle. I know you're concerned about the ship's future and the future battles ahead but what I don't like your viewpoint concerning the two pilots. Let's not view either Jack or Kira as tools to be used only to be disposed when their usefulness is over."

"But ma'am I-"

"You have to remember, Natarle, that Kira is not part of the Earth Alliance since he is just a civilian from Orb. He is just a child dragged into the conflict without any say whatsoever. Remember what Cooper said during the court martial? Volunteers aren't the same as enlisted members."

"Of course I understand his words but…"

"You also have to know that despite Jack being a mercenary, we haven't made a formal contract with him with terms dictating that he stays with us for a specific duration of time. He volunteered to stay on the ship to make sure the _Archangel_ can complete her maiden voyage to meet up with the Eighth Fleet. Since we've been able to make it here, he doesn't have any reason to stay with us."

" _Although I wish he wouldn't leave the ship because I've grown so fond of him during his time with us. Just the thought of him leaving makes my heart shatter but if it's his decision to leave us behind for a better opportunity elsewhere, then I will support him no matter what. Even if my heart protests._ "

Despite the short amount of time Cooper stayed with them in their journey to rendezvous with the Eighth Fleet, she has grown fond of the man. Sure, it may be hard for her to move on from one relationship that ended in such an unexpected turn to another but her heart already bonded with his. She is ready to move on to a new relationship with her newfound love. Although she would not admit it out loud, if he does leave the ship and go somewhere else, she would miss him dearly.

She wanted to scream, beg, or do whatever it would take to have him stay but she is above those underhanded methods. She will not resort to it if it is the last thing she does, despite the overwhelming temptation washing over her entire being.

"But still! Both of their capabilities are still valuable when it comes to defending the ship! We can't afford to lose either of them especially how we made it this far."

"True to your point, their skills are indeed amazing and has allowed the ship to stay in one piece. Having these top pilots leave the ship will definitely decrease the overall safety and combat efficiency of the _Archangel_ but I will not resort to coercion like you are implying Natarle."

"I know that but you also have to understand that we can't just let them go. Jack was the first to look into a secret military project like the G-Project without any proper authorization to do so. Not to mention, Pilot Yamato and the children saw the Strike in Heliopolis thus making them security risks from the start! All of them are and we can't let them waltz out of here as if nothing happened!"

Murrue looks at her straight in the eye making her stop in her tracks. "I don't think you know the situation, Ensign Badgiruel. Regardless of the results each of them brought to the _Archangel_ and her crew, we can't pressure them to join us. The reason why they boarded the ship in the first place is because of unfortunate circumstances. They wanted to lend us a helping hand despite us not asking for it and to coerce any of the volunteers to join us is nothing short of a dirty ploy. I don't know if you're forgetting something, Natarle, but coercion is another punishable military offense in the EA handbook. We've done some questionable tactics before making our way here and I'd rather not have any more of those add up to tarnish our reputation."

She begins to move along the corridor heading straight to the hangar entrance. "I completely understand why you're worried for the safety of this ship and its crew members Natarle. I truly do but let's not use cheap, underhanded tactics to do so. This discussion is over and I do not want to hear a word about this to the admiral when we meet him for our reports. Do I make myself clear?"

As much as she wanted to protest this, she concedes to her orders, merely electing to sulk about it. "Understood ma'am."

Down in the hangar area, Mu and Jack were idly floating around the hangar thanks to zero gravity. The mechanics are busy repairing the Moebius Zero whilst making a few minor repairs around the Strike and BT. As the two floated near each other, Kira's head immediately pops up from the orange mobile armor.

"I don't know what's the rush around here! Why are we repairing the Moebius Zero again?"

"Goddammit!" Mu and Jack, mostly the former, got so startled the blonde ace pilot accidentally punched the Militia pilot squarely right at the jaw. Cooper grunts in pain, clutching his jaw before glaring at him heatedly from the sucker punch.

"Fuck! why the hell did you punch me dammit?! I thought we were buddies, Mu!"

"Well if you're going to blame somebody blame the kid! He's the one who got me jumpy."

Cooper glared at Kira who merely elected to duck behind the Moebius Zero in fright. Shaking his head, he approaches the kid in the mobile armor. "Kira, what were you saying again?"

"Er…um…why are we repairing the Moebius Zero again? We already linked up with the Eighth Fleet which means we should be home free by now. I don't know why there's such a rush to get this thing up and running again."

Mu rubs his hand behind his head before answering the kid's question. "I feel insecure when my machine is damaged! One of the gun barrel pods got destroyed in my last fight against the Buster. That's why we're repairing this damn thing."

Murdoch, however, approached the three pilots with a different answer. "Ah I beg to differ on that reasoning, Lieutenant La Flaga."

"Oh? Why's that chief?" asked Jack, curious about what the gruff mechanic might have in mind with the Zero's repairs.

"You see, the Eighth Fleet's pilots are rookies. New recruits fresh out of boot camp. These guys are sent in for their first time in the front. In the case that we're caught with our pants down by those crazy ZAFT guys before we can do anything, everybody will come clamoring for their dashing Hawk of Endymion in shining armor to save them in their time of distress."

Kira and Jack chuckled as they imagine the rookie mobile armor pilots hammering his radio channels, asking them to save them or what they should do in the middle of a battlefield. Mu, however, is not laughing at it, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Despite it being a funny idea, I don't think that's the entire reason why you have the Moebius Zero repaired in a quick amount of time."

Murdoch chuckles, looking at the screen to monitor the calibrations on the orange mobile armor. "Man, looks like I can't keep anything from you, eh? You're quite right, Cooper! From what I heard, the Eighth Fleet would be giving us some extra manpower aboard this ship so I figured, why not make the Moebius Zero act as a training unit for these youngsters? Spend some hours doing some simulation training before we let them use some of the atmospheric aerial fighters stored in the _Archangel_."

"But can't you use the atmospheric fighters as training units instead of a space mobile armor unit? Wouldn't it better if you have those things out for a practice unit if you guys are going to descend down to Earth?" asked a confused Kira.

"Unfortunately, none of the atmospheric ones, such as the Skygraspers, are installed with simulation devices. Only space armors hence why we're having this unit repaired ASAP."

"Okay, but what about the Strike? Should we leave it the way it is or return it back to the original configuration?"

"You got a point there. To be perfectly honest, I don't know if we should return the machine's specs back to its original configuration. I mean, the Strike will lose its overall effective performance which I for one, wouldn't bother with it. After all, the unit is already kicking a lot of ass as it is and putting it back to its original bumbling state would be a hassle." said Murdoch.

"Or perhaps we can hope that somebody would come along and pilot the Strike way it is. I'm pretty sure there are some exceptional pilots in the EA who can man it just fine."

All four looked up to see Murrue floating down to greet them. Jack gave a smile before blowing a kiss at her direction making the brunette woman blush at his flirting. Mu and Murdoch snickered at the flustered expression on her face. She landed next to the Militia hero before grabbing his hand with hers. He raised an eyebrow at the affectionate gesture but he is not complaining.

If anything, he is enjoying how warm and soft her hand is with his calloused and hard ones.

Mu grins at the sight he is seeing. "Oh ho? What's this I'm seeing? The captain coming all the way down to the hangar? Man, this is quite interesting sight to see alright. Still I can't help but ask, what are you doing here in the first place, Murrue? Unless you're here for Cooper that is."

The brunette woman's face flushes in embarrassment as she quickly denies his claim. "I-it's not that! I don't know what you're talking about!" She quickly released her hand from his, much to Cooper's disappointment. "I'm here on business. Kira, Jack, I want to talk to the both of you for just a moment."

The teenager looks at her with suspicious eyes while Jack merely raised an eyebrow. What could she possibly want to talk to them about in private?

"Erm…sure thing Murrue. Come on kid, let's see what the captain wants with us."

Seeing no harm in doing so, the Strike pilot left the Moebius Zero's hatch before following the two up to the rafters where both the Strike and BT are situated. The trusty former Vanguard Titan turned mobile suit, seeing Murrue with his pilot and Kira immediately greets her.

" **Hello Captain Ramius, Kira Yamato. If I may ask you, Captain Ramius, what brings you up here in the hangar? Should you perhaps be up on the bridge to view the current situation we are in?** "

She smiles to the Titan AI. "Hello BT. For your two questions, we already linked up with the Eighth Fleet as planned but we are waiting for Admiral Halberton to arrive as he is going to inspect the ship. I hope your recharging station isn't give you much complications during your stay here on the _Archangel_."

" **On the contrary, it has provided me with a sufficient and accelerated recharging time. It has served my needs well, Captain Ramius.** "

"Good to hear, BT." She then turns to the two pilots. "Kira, Jack, I've hardly had any free time ever since the _Archangel_ began its journey in space along with our ZAFT pursuers relentlessly chasing after us, trying to sink us down. As such, it was hard for me to find the time to talk to the both of you. Now that ZAFT is out of our tails at the moment, I just want to give you my sincere thanks."

The two looked at her quite surprised.

"I know our initial meeting hasn't been the greatest due to the chaotic situation we've been in and I know I've placed a lot of hardships on the both of you but truly, I'm grateful for what you've done for the ship. And for that, I give you my thanks."

She bowed her head to the both of them making them kind of squirmy since they are not so used to this type of formality.

"Er…um…it's nothing really. We're just doing our job to make sure everybody is safe from harm. No need for it to be quite honest." says a sheepish Jack.

"Yeah, what Jack says. There's no need to be so formal with us."

" **As my pilot stated, there is no need for that sort of formality, Captain Ramius. Pilot Cooper and I are fulfilling Protocol Two which is to Uphold the Mission. And that mission is to make sure the** _ **Archangel**_ **and her inhabitants are secured and safe.** "

She raised her head from her bowed position but kept her eye contact on the two. "Still, it wouldn't be proper for me to not thank you properly for all the hard work you've done in keeping the ship safe. Still given the situation, I imagine things will continue to be hectic for the both of you, even when you land on Earth. Still, I wish you the best of luck."

She extended her hand to Kira and Jack who both shook it in gratitude. The Archangel's hangar doors opened, with the _Menelaos_ ' shuttle entering in.

Knowing who it is, she instructs Cooper and Kira to head down with the rest of the other crew members. "Kira, Jack, Admiral Halberton of the Eighth Fleet is here. I want the both of you to be with the others since he's here to inspect the ship. Understand?"

The two pilots nod before heading down to meet up with the other crew members while she went over to meet up with Natarle and Mu along with the rest of the bridge crew members. Placing her cap on her head, the shuttle doors opened revealing the aforementioned Admiral Halberton, Captain Hoffman and two female pilots accompanying them. The first lady has long black hair with alluring red eyes, wearing the standard Earth Alliance pilot uniform which is colored purple. The second sports short blonde hair, blue eyes, and an Earth Alliance pilot uniform colored light blue and light pink. Unlike the raven-haired lady, she has her pilot suit zipped down halfway, revealing some cleavage.

Halberton looks around the hangar before his blue eyes landed on his student. Smiling in relief to see her safe and sound, they went down from the shuttle, landing before them. Murrue, Mu, Natarle and the other bridge members saluted before them with the four returning the gesture.

He approached his student, giving her a hug before placing his hands on his shoulders. "Thank goodness you're safe and sound! When I heard what happened at Heliopolis, I feared the worst but it seems my worries have been laid to rest. What a joy to see you here."

"The pleasure is mine as well, Admiral Halberton. It's good to see you once again."

"I was a little nervous when we're told you were in a battle situation earlier before our arrival. Is everybody here on this ship alright?"

Natarle steps up to greet him. "Yes sir. My name is Ensign Natarle Badgiruel."

"Lieutenant Mu La Flaga of the Seventh Orbital Fleet, Admiral Halberton. Pleasure to meet you sir."

His eyes immediately light up in excitement when he hears the famed Hawk of Endymion with them. He extends his hand to the blonde pilot. "Ah yes! The Hawk of Endymion. We're very fortunate indeed to have you here with us, Lieutenant La Flaga."

He accepts his hand before giving him a sheepish chuckle. "Ah, I wish I could've been a bit more help to be quite honest."

Releasing his hand, Halberton sees the other crew members right behind them. "Oh? And who are these fine fellows, Lieutenant Ramius?"

Turning around to where the admiral is staring, she immediately answers him. "These are students and factory workers from Heliopolis who volunteered to help out with the ship. As for the gentleman you see in a different outfit, his name is Jack Cooper. He's a mercenary and pilot of a ZAFT custom CGUE hence why the two mobile suits docked here in the _Archangel_. He along with his custom mobile suit were able to beat back the ZAFT forces with ease during our journey to rendezvous with the Eighth Fleet. Without their support, we wouldn't have made it this far. We owe them a debt of gratitude."

The man rubs his chin, humming in an interested tune. "Hmm…I see. I imagine they have some sort of interesting story to tell. Regardless, I have some great news which I imagine will calm their worries about their parents."

Without a moment's hesitation, the three went over to meet up with them. They all stood in attention, offering their salutes with the admiral raising his hands up to them. "At ease everybody. No need to be formal."

Standing at ease, he brings them said good news. "It's good to see such young people stepping up the plate and perform to the best of their abilities when the situation calls for it. Without your courage, we'd never be able to win this war. As Lieutenant Ramius mentioned to me, we owe each and every one of you a debt of gratitude in helping the _Archangel_ come this far. But I have some important news to share with all of you. Your families made it out of Heliopolis and all are accounted for. They are safe and sound as we speak."

Everybody immediately cheered at the news to hear their families in safe hands. This made them all the more excited to reunite with them as soon as they can.

Well everybody was excited except for Jack. His parents are literally in a different universe altogether which made him a bit depressed. He definitely misses his parents and has not been able to see them ever since.

" _I wonder how pops and mom are doing? It's been a while since I saw them last time before I went to Typhon. Wonder if they're taking the news of my 'apparent death' hard._ "

His musings were cut off as Captain Hoffman approaches Admiral Halberton. "Sir, sorry to interrupt the good mood but we're right behind schedule."

Nodding to his second in command, he turns back to the volunteers. "As much as I would like to thank each and every one of you personally, we are running a bit behind schedule. I would like Lieutenant Ramius, Ensign Bardgiruel, Lieutenant La Flaga and Jack Cooper to come with me. We have some business to discuss in a short amount of time."

Jack, Murrue, Natarle, and Mu accompanied the two officers and pilot to the Murrue's office while the rest of the crew members went back to manning their posts. Upon arrival at her office, Halberton sat behind the desk while his two companions stood on either side of him. The rest stood before him.

"Before we start with some business, I just want to introduce you to your new pilots, Officer Rena Imelia and Lieutenant Jane Houston. Miss Imelia is an excellent mobile suit pilot and is, or was, the original trainer of the five mobile suit pilots that were supposed to pilot the five G-Units. Miss Houston, on the other hand, is a mobile armor pilot piloting a FXet-565 Cosmograsper. They will be transferred to the _Archangel_ crew as per orders from Alaska."

The blonde pilot greets them with a wave. "Howdy there! Names Jane. Hope you guys still have some room left in the _Archangel_ to fit my machine in."

Rena just sighs at her colleague's enthusiastic greeting before bowing her head to her new commanding officers. "As Admiral Halberton mentioned already, I am Rena Imelia, mentor for the original G-Unit pilots. Although Lieutenant Houston and I are new members to your crew, it is a pleasure to make an acquaintance with each of you. I hope we can get along well with each other."

Murrue blinked twice before accepting them into her crew. "Er…um…yes, welcome to the _Archangel_ you two. As you know, I am Lieutenant Murrue Ramius and these are my colleagues Lieutenant Mu La Flaga, Ensign Bardgiruel, and Jack Cooper." She turns to Lieutenant Houston. "As for your question regarding space for your unit, we still have some room leftover."

The two then turned to Admiral Halberton, offering them their salutes to their commanding officer. "Sir permission to be excused?" asks Rena.

"Permission granted. Also, make sure that you two are in the hangar to park your respective units into the appropriate places as the rest of the hangar crew members are busy getting some supplies from our ship. Rena, your mobile suit along with its armaments will be sent there as well. Understand?"

"Yes sir." The two women then left the office. Once they are gone, the Eighth Fleet commander turns his attention to the others.

"Now if you're wondering what mobile suit Officer Imelia is going to pilot, it is a GAT-01A1 Dagger. I won't get into much detail but it's a test unit with the data derived from the Strike. If you want to know more about the mobile suit, then make sure you look at it within this flash drive."

He placed the device on the table allowing Murrue to pick it up from the desk before placing it in the pocket of her uniform.

"Now then onto our next order of business. May Jack Cooper please step forward." Said man stood in attention stepping forward before the admiral. "From the reports I've been given, you as a mercenary boarded the _Archangel_ to volunteer and help defend her during her maiden voyage to meet us here. No contract made added with that fact. Added in the report, I read that you were able to look in all of the information regarding the G-Project. Care to explain yourself on that matter, good sir?"

Clearing his throat, he proceeds to tell him about how he met up with the _Archangel_ 's crew. "I will but before I go on my side of the story, may I request that I not fully divulge any sensitive pertaining to myself to you, be it personal or classified, Admiral Halberton?"

He agrees to it. "Very well, Mr. Cooper. We shall adhere to your request." He looks to everybody around the office with a look offering no arguments while he is here. Seeing them comply to it, he signals him to continue.

"Alrighty. Well to begin with me knowing the G-Project prior to ZAFT's invasion of the colony, I noticed a few military trucks roaming around the grounds carrying what appears to be large weaponry for mech usage. Being the curious guy I am, I decided to investigate what was going on until I stumbled upon the G-Unit mobile suits in Morgenroete. Once I saw the G-Units in the hangar, I decided to do a bit of snooping before I stumbled upon the buried treasure chest."

Captain Hoffman then asks him about his intentions. "Mister Jack Cooper, when you stumbled upon the data of the G-Project, did you perhaps sell it to ZAFT which caused them to invade the colony of Heliopolis?"

Instead of getting defensive and lashing out at him, he calmly tells him otherwise. "No sir. I wasn't employed by anybody during the time I was in Heliopolis. I was on vacation before things went down south. In fact, I wasn't even aware of them waiting outside the colony to start their raid."

The commander of the Eighth Fleet chuckles with the _Archangel_ 's resident mercenary. "I imagine so but go on."

"Getting back on track, I don't have a lot of connections to either the PLANTs or ZAFT. I really don't know how they do business at their own end or their command structure so it gave me very little reason to even give up any relevant information pertaining of the G-Project to them."

The blonde commander places his hands together in front of his face. "If it wasn't your doing, then it must've been the work of a spy. It's mere speculation but it's not so farfetched when you think about it. Then what about your involvement with the _Archangel_?"

"After driving off some stubborn-headed ZAFT forces from Heliopolis, I realize the dire situation the _Archangel_ crew seems to be so I decided to help them out in any way, shape or form. I volunteered my services to them since we didn't have a lot of time to finalize a formal contract due to the enemy's relentless motivation in killing everybody on board."

"I see. Well I don't seem to detect any sort of deceit or lies in your words Mister Cooper since your tone is sincere about it. Normally I would be hesitant on letting a noncontracted mercenary be on board the _Archangel_ but considering you volunteered to help the crew in their dire need, I'll let this go."

"Speaking of a formal contract, Admiral Halberton, I'd actually like to make one between myself and the _Archangel_ 's crew. I know there's a regulation or some sort of protocol in the EA handbook about contractors working for the military along with the consequences if this rule isn't held up. So I'm asking you, sir, if I can perhaps make one here to avoid the trouble."

This surprised everybody, especially Murrue about his proposition. "A contract you say? Well I'd like to grant it but I want to know your reasons for working with the _Archangel_ and her crew. It must be more than just preventing the entire crew from getting into trouble with Earth Alliance protocols."

"Well, Admiral Halberton, I like the crew and grew attached to them during our journey to link up with your fleet. Call me sappy but I'd miss them if I were to leave them. Besides, the _Archangel_ will need some mobile suits to make sure the ship stays in one piece. It maybe built to withstand tremendous firepower but it's not indestructible. So I'd like to make a contract with them if that's fine with you."

Seeing all the valid points he in his reasonings, he decides to grant the man his request. Grabbing a contract from the drawer, the admiral hands it to him detailing the terms and freedoms he can do. Grabbing the pen, he signs his name on the dotted line before setting the pen down.

"Congratulations, Jack Cooper. You are now officially a contractor for the _Archangel_ and her crew."

"Pleasure doing business with you, sir. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some other matters to attend to."

Cooper salutes him, before taking his leave. Once he is gone, the three officers then report to him about what actually happened to both Heliopolis and the Eurasian satellite base, the Artemis. Saying they were shocked is like saying the sun is burning too brightly in the morning sky.

"What madness is this?! How could ZAFT go to such extent of destroying Heliopolis and the Artemis for just a lone warship and mobile suit? What could possibly drive them to go such lengths?!"

Duane, however, sees it in a different light than what his second in command makes it out to be. "Regardless of their…extreme behavior, Captain Hoffman, the crew was able to protect the Strike. The ship will work in our favor which should be counted as a major victory for us."

Captain Hoffman quickly disagrees, knowing how some of the higher-ups in the Earth Alliance command chain see things in a different perspective than his admiral's viewpoint. "Alaska HQ doesn't seem to share the same sentiments."

The man narrows his eyes when his aide mentions those idiots. "What do those incompetent fools who do nothing but pettily quarrel with each other all day, know about the realities of space combat? At least Lieutenant Ramius is able to understand my intentions all along. There's nothing in this matter that can be considered a problem."

Captain Hoffman grabs his clipboard, shuffling through some notes for discussion. "Well yes that is true sir, but we also have another problem to deal with. In particular, one matter pertaining to Strike test pilot, and Coordinator Kira Yamato. Is there anything anybody here who would like to share with us about the young lad?"

"Sir, Kira volunteered to pilot the Strike because he wanted to protect his friends who are also on board the _Archangel_. It was the only reason why he manned the machine in the first place. Despite the hardships he endured, especially fighting against his own people, he never gave up, always placing his friends in the forefront of his mind. He is a sincere and kind boy with extraordinary piloting capabilities so I believe it would be better suited if we respond him with trust. To do so otherwise is unacceptable." says Murrue.

The second in command looks over to his superior officer. "But in the reports here, he along with the other children saw one of the G-Project units in the first place that was supposed to be a secret. If anything, sir, they are security risks and I highly doubt upper command would allow any of them to just leave as if nothing happened."

"I agree with Captain Hoffman here, Admiral Halberton."

Duane looks at Natarle, already knowing the game she is playing. "Is that so, Ensign Bardgiruel? Care to explain why you believe such is the case with regards to the young lad?"

"Yes sir. As you know, his piloting capabilities are enough to open everybody's eyes. I along with many others on the bridge witnessed him perform fantastically in combat. Sure, Jack Cooper displayed some mighty piloting prowess of his own, being capable of handling multiple targets without any of his enemies landing a single scratch on him but Kira's by far is on a whole different league. I'd think twice about letting him go since he too knows about the G-Project."

He leans back on his chair but still maintains his eye contact on the ensign. "ZAFT already has four of the five units in their hands, Ensign Bardgiruel. Not to mention, they sent a spy to collect all the data on the G-units that were covertly manufactured in Morgenroete leading to Heliopolis' demise. You also have to remember that Cooper figured it out prior to ZAFT getting wind of it in the first place. The project is hardly a secret."

"True sir and I agree with your points but fact of the matter is, his skills are a valuable asset to us. It would be best if we have him join the Earth Alliance."

This time Captain Hoffman looks at the _Archangel_ 's ensign "Oh? From what I'm looking here at the reports, the boy's intentions about joining the military tells me otherwise."

"His parents are Naturals currently living in Earth after Heliopolis collapsed. If the military took them under their protection then-"

His fist smashed on the table causing her to stop at her sentence. "What you're telling me right now is outright coercion, Ensign Bardgiruel! What use will a forced conscript be for us?! I really want to hear it and you better make sure it's a good one."

Shocked, and scared at the admiral's anger, she steps back from the desk. "N-none sir. M-my deepest apologies."

Taking a sigh to calm himself, he proceeds to stand up, facing the three officers. "We can't change the past, but we need to focus on both the present and future before us. Your priority is to have the _Archangel_ descend to Alaska HQ with its present roster."

"A-are you sure that's wise sir?" asks a stunned Mu.

"Unfortunately, the advance force we sent containing supplementary crew personnel have been destroyed so we don't have a lot manpower to allocate for the _Archangel_. You will have to make due with what you have at the moment." says Hoffman.

"Now because of the unfortunate circumstances with Heliopolis being destroyed, I cannot stress it enough how vital it is for the _Archangel_ and the G-Unit along with its data to reach Alaska." A fire immediately ignites in Duane's eyes. "As such, we must get the G-Weapons' development on track! ZAFT will no doubt continue to send new machines in the battlefield to test out its combat efficiency ratings allowing those machines to become the new mass-produced units. It pains me to think of those blasted pencil pushers, who do nothing but sit behind a desk, keep spending on useless things for concessions while they regard the number of soldiers lost in each battlefield as statistics on a report! A total, utter disgrace!"

A moment of silence reigns the room after Duane's passionate speech. It was then Murrue gives her mentor a smile. "Sir, I'll see to it we deliver your spirit to Alaska."

"As a mobile armor survivor, it's an order I can't refuse." adds Mu.

The man smiles at them. "Thank you. Now before we end the day, I want the officers of the Archangel to please step forward."

Mu, Natarle, and Murrue stepped up before him.

"It is within my honor to have you three officers of the _Archangel_ hereby promoted to your new ranks. Congratulations are indeed in order. You three certainly deserved it after the trials you've gone through."

* * *

In the _Vesalius_ , Athrun is walking up with Commander Le Creuset as the latter is heading straight to the bridge to figure out a way to attack the legged ship and destroy the Eighth Fleet.

"Have you heard about what happened to Yzak, Athrun?"

The navy-haired soldier nods to him. It was a surprise for him to believe at first that his gentle friend, Kira, was able to injure his hotheaded teammate. Despite it, he cannot have the "I did. It looks like Yzak must be another humiliation on his shoulders."

"Still they did their best in delaying the legged ship and its units. Although it didn't end as planned, you have to at least be proud on their attempt."

"I know that sir. It's just that…"

"Don't worry about him so much, Athrun. He may be injured but he's still a soldier. He'll pull through in the end. After all, it'll take more than a simply grazing wound to take him out." He then places a hand on the young soldier's shoulders. "Athrun, I want you to take this piece of news to heart."

"What do you mean by that, sir?" asks Athrun, confused at what his superior officer is trying to tell him.

"Take Yzak's injuries as a reminder of what happens if you don't shoot the Strike. Unless you don't capture or destroy it, you could very well be its next victim. You could be injured just like your teammate or worse. End up in the afterlife."

"Commander…"

"I know things have been chaotic ever since the hostage crisis concerning Miss Clyne aboard the legged ship and I understand that the pilot on the Strike is your childhood friend but you have to understand that the legged ship's mobile suit will not hesitate in destroying you. You can't let your personal feelings cloud your judgement or it'll make things difficult in the long run."

"I-I understand sir."

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have some important matters to attend."

Heading in the elevator lift, the doors closed, taking Rau to the bridge while Athrun looked outside the windows of the _Vesalius_ , reflecting on Commander Le Creuset's words.

Reaching the bridge, the masked commander heads over to Captain Ades' chair, standing right behind him.

"Status report?" asks Rau.

"The _Ziegler_ has joined up with the _Gamow_. We're now making our way to the Eighth Fleet and the legged ship as we speak."

"Has the enemy pinpointed our position yet?"

"No sir. Much of the fleet has descended to a low point near Earth's gravity."

This surprises the masked commander as he heads over to the holographic display showcasing the legged ship's position and the entirety of the Eighth Fleet. "All this time, I thought the legged ship would be heading straight to Lunar HQ. It looks like from the looks of things, they seem to be interested in heading down to Earth."

"Their target seems to be Alaska."

Knowing time is of the essence here, he will have to make sure the Eighth Fleet and the legged ship are destroyed before they can even enter in Earth. "Then we have to figure out a way to eliminate them while they're still in our backyard. What do you propose we do, Ades?"

"The _Ziegler_ has six GINNs while we have the four stolen EA prototypes in our disposal. I don't know much about Lieutenant Joule's condition but the _Gamow_ can perhaps send out the Blitz and the Buster for this sortie."

Rau looks down on the holographic table with the legged ship marked on the display. "I'd say it's time we have the famous Admiral Halberton exit the battle stage. Notify Captain Zelman and Aster about our plans before we engage the Eighth Fleet. The sooner we can sink the legged ship and those mobile suits, the higher we can attain victory in this war."

* * *

Back in the _Archangel_ , civilians alike are being transported to shuttles belonging to the _Menelaos_. As the crowd begins to board the shuttles, Kira was packing up his bags.

"Well looks who's ready to leave in such a hurry."

Whirling around, he sees Cooper wearing a white T-shirt, baggy sweatpants, and tennis shoes.

"J-Jack! What are you doing here?"

"What else do you think I'm doing? I'm staying in the ship and the crew."

Kira was quite stunned to hear him stay in the _Archangel_. "Y-you're staying? But you didn't make a contract with the crew to say that you're working for them. You're a volunteer just like me."

He chuckles before telling him the news. "True, I _didn't_ make a contract with them up until now. I talked with the head honcho of the Eighth Fleet, Admiral Halberton, to see if I can finalize an agreement to work with the _Archangel_ 's crew. He gave me the green light so now I'm back in business."

"O-oh. So you're now participating in the war…"

"Pretty much, but forget about it kid. Let's not talk about me but rather about you. Looks like you're ready to head down to Earth and resume your life as normal."

"Yeah. You can say that…"

Cooper noticed the slightly sad expression on his face as he stares into space. Getting concerned, he gently places a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, what seems to be the matter kid? You seem to be happy one minute, then the next, you're all gloomy. Thought you'd be happy that you'd no longer risk your life on the frontlines."

"I…I am but…I'm wondering if this is the right path for me to take. If I'm making a right decision."

Taking a sigh, the two of them sat on the bed as he places both hands on his shoulders. "Listen to me kid. You and your friends volunteered to help out the _Archangel_ to make sure it reaches its intended destination which is the Eighth Fleet. Now that you're given the opportunity to live a peaceful life, you and your friends seem to be excited about it living a civilian life."

"Well yeah but…"

"Kira, just because I'm staying doesn't mean you have to. I decided to stay here because the ship may need some help down the line in future battles up ahead. There may be bigger threats down the line which the crew may not be able to handle but I can handle."

He stayed silent allowing Cooper to continue. "At the end of the day, it's your decision whether or not you want to stay and fight the war or leave the war behind to live a peaceful life. Nobody can make a decision for you because it's yours to make."

The young man quietly nods allowing the Militia pilot to get up from the bed.

"I'll be in the hangar, making some adjustments for BT. If you want to talk to me or say goodbye, you know where to find me."

Before he left, he clasps Kira's forearm, which he instinctively returns. "I just want to let you know that if you do choose to leave the _Archangel_ , I want to say, it's been nice knowing you buddy. You were like the little bro I never had."

The young Coordinator smiles at his fellow pilot. "Same can be said for you Cooper. You were like an older brother I never had."

Leaving the room, Kira looked down on the ground for a few minutes before heading his way to the hangar to sort out his feelings. On his way, he spots Jack talking to a little girl and what he assumes to be her mother. Taking a closer look at the child, he immediately recognizes the same child he bumped into when they were ready to head off into battle.

Looking up from Cooper, the girl immediately dashes over to Kira. Grabbing something from her small pink pouch, she gave him a yellow origami flower. "Thanks for protecting us, mister. I just want to give this to you as a token of my thanks for all the hard work you've done for us."

Kira smiles as he accepts the flower as a token of thanks. "It's no problem…um…"

"Elle."

"It's no problem Elle. Jack and I are just doing our job to make sure everybody in this ship is safe."

Elle's mother approached the young man with Cooper following her as well. "Even so, we still want to thank you two properly for making sure everybody on board the ship is safe. I know saying thanks isn't going to be enough for the amount of times you've been risking your lives for us but…"

The Militia pilot waves his hand to her. "No worries about it, ma'am. We're doing our duty to make sure each and every civilian is safe and unharmed. Always has and always will be."

The two smiled at them before heading over to the exit where they will board the shuttle soon. Cooper looked over to Kira wondering where he will be heading.

"So where you headed off to?"

"I'm heading over to the hangar. I still need to figure out a couple things for myself before I make a decision."

He shrugs his shoulders at the young man. "Well if you need some time to reflect, then go ahead. I ain't stopping you."

As the two pilots make their way over to the hangar, Captain Hoffman and the newly promoted Lieutenant Bardgiruel entered in the barracks where the students are located. Upon entering in, Kuzzey, Sai, Miriallia, and Tolle looked up to the two officers.

Clearing his throat, Captain Hoffman handed each uniformed teen discharge papers before addressing them. "Alright youngsters, listen up because what I'm about to say is very important. The sheets of papers I handed you are discharge permission papers saying that you were soldiers of the Earth Alliance."

"We were soldiers, sir?" asked a confused Tolle. All this time they thought they were just civilian volunteers but it seems that Earth Alliance high command thinks otherwise.

"That is correct. Although all four of you volunteered to be crew members of the _Archangel_ during an emergency situation and all four of you are instrumental in making sure the ship is safe, it's illegal to have civilians participate in military combat. So as a way to evade the problem from a legal standpoint, we recognize each of you as volunteer having entered in a military vessel the day you boarded the ship."

What Captain Hoffman stated now made sense for the four teenagers. Natarle looks around to see Kira not with them.

"Crewman Koenig, where is Pilot Yamato? Isn't he supposed to be with you?"

Tolle looks around just noticing his friend not with them. He gives a sheepish chuckle making the two officers palm their faces in frustration. "Oh…erm…um I guess not?"

Natarle handed him Kira's discharge papers. "Never mind. Just hand this to him when you see him, okay?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Now that you have your discharge papers, make sure you don't lose those okay? You'll need them when you're presenting it to an Earth Alliance officer when you board the shuttle. Otherwise, they may think you're abandoning your posts. Understand?" said Hoffman.

The teens looked at each other before shifting their gazes back to the two officers.

"Um…can we…perhaps think about this over before we actually jump the gun?" asked Sai.

The two officers looked at each other before Hoffman looks at them. "Sure thing. If you need some time go ahead but be mindful of how many minutes you have. The civilians are starting to board the shuttles and are about to head back to the _Menelaos_. Take too long, you might end up missing the opportunity to head back to Earth."

"Thank you sir. I promise you we won't take long."

The two officers left the quarters, hanging outside to discuss other military matters while the four teenagers looked at each other.

The bespectacled teen looked over to his other friends. "You think we should go with the rest of the refugees who are boarding the shuttles?"

"I don't know man. At first I kinda want to leave the ship because I'm not so used to chaotic fights but at the same time there's just something inside me telling me to stay on board the ship." says Tolle.

"Why's that?" asks a confused Miriallia.

"While I was leaving the cafeteria, I heard two mechanics chatting about Captain Ramius declaring that the ship descending to Earth with the current roster on board the ship. Apparently, they weren't the only ones as the rest of the crew members were having the same disappointed vibe and talk going around."

"Did you ask them if it was true? For all we know, it could be a rumor." asks Sai.

"Hell, I even asked Arnold and Chandra if it was true and they said it is."

Their eyes widened to the size of dinner plates when they heard the news dropped on them. "Why would Captain Ramius tell the crew such a thing? I thought they were ecstatic about getting some more men on board the ship?" asked a confused Kuzzey.

"Remember about the advance fleet with Flay's father in it?"

Of course, they remember the disaster of saving the advance fleet! How could they not forget about it? Sai winced at such a memory, his mind continuing to replay the scenes of the _Montgomery_ holding his supposed future father-in-law exploding in a fiery blaze of glory.

"Yeah what about it?" asked Miriallia.

"Apparently, they were the ones who were supposed to provide the ship with some crew members but as you know, ZAFT shot those hopes down hence why the ship is still understaffed." Tolle looks around to his three other friends. "I dunno about you guys, but I feel bad for leaving the ship the way it is. If anything horrible happens, I'd feel responsible for it and will regret it for the rest of my life. Besides, we can help make a difference and I don't see anything wrong in joining up with the rest of the gang. I dunno about any of you but I'm staying."

"Are you sure you want to throw away your chance in leaving the _Archangel_ to resume your life in a peaceful manner?" asks a concerned Miriallia.

"Positive. Call me dumb but my gut feeling is telling me to help them out."

"Well if that's the case, then I'm coming with you Tolle." This made her boyfriend look at her in surprise. "Don't give me that look. Somebody's gotta keep you in line for all the trouble you'll no doubt cause while you're on board!"

He forms a grin on his face. "Wouldn't have it any other way babe."

The brunette young lady smiles at him before she looks to her other two friends. "What about you guys? Are you going to stay with us or head back to Earth?"

Sai stared at the floor for a minute before taking a deep breath. "I'm coming with you guys."

Everybody seems to be surprised at his decision but they can see why. A while ago, before making a rendezvous with the Eighth Fleet, Flay broke up with Sai because of his "inability" to protect her father. Sure, she placed the majority of the blame on Kira's shoulders but she also held a good amount of resentment to Sai who, in her point of view, did not do anything productive in saving her father other than sitting in front of a computer and do nothing.

Sai, being the good fiancé he tries to be, attempts to salvage their relationship but it was all for naught. Even worse, Flay was rather blunt about it and told him that he was never her type and only tolerated him because of the arrangement made between her parents and his. The last straw came to her when he was "unable" to protect her father thus wanting to break up the relationship. Her words hurt him deeply because he had an attraction to her during their engagement but such a relationship will just a memory in the wind.

"Not that I'm questioning your motives, Sai, but I thought you'd be going with Flay who's leaving with the rest of the refugees with the _Archangel_?" says Tolle.

The bespectacled teen takes a sigh. "The Flay that we used to know died with her father in the _Montgomery_. In fact, she turned into something rather…bad. It's hard to describe but she appears to be…cold. Distant even. She was mumbling something about Kira dying in combat to repay the sins he committed for failing her father along with other horrible comments in her sleep. I tried to shake her out of such disturbing tendencies but she refuses to even listen to me."

This was alarming to everybody. "Geez I get that she's still hung up on her dad's death but to go so far to say such things?! Man, you were right about her changing for the worse!"

"Mhm. Besides, she doesn't want anything to do with me anymore and wants to live her life in the Atlantic Federation. I may as well join you guys since I'd rather not have my friends risk their life needlessly on the battlefield."

They all looked to Kuzzey which made the shy teen bristle under their stares before wilting to it. "Oh confound it all, I'm enlisting! If you guys are going to stay, then I'm in. It'd be kinda lonely if I went with the rest of the refugees while you guys are out there fighting to make a difference."

They then left the barracks to give Captain Hoffman and Lieutenant Bardgiruel their answer. Upon seeing the teenagers all come to them, the portly man looks at them with a raised eyebrow.

"So have you come to a decision?"

They all nod to him. "Yes sir. We decided to stay with the _Archangel_. Despite giving us the discharge papers, we decided to help out the crew in whatever way we can. We're enlisting."

This came as a surprise for Halberton's second in command. He looks over to Natarle who shakes her head at this but nonetheless accepts their enlistment. "If you want to enlist in the Earth Alliance, then who are we to deny your request? As a lieutenant of the _Archangel_ , I hereby acknowledge your enlistment in the OMNI Enforcer. Congratulations you four. From this point on, each and every one of is an official _Archangel_ crew member. I suggest you go to the hangar to meet up with Kira. No doubt you'd want to give your friend a farewell. Make sure you don't take too long because you need to report to the bridge for your assignments. Understand?"

The four teens saluted before handing the discharge papers to Captain Hoffman while Tolle carries Kira's papers before heading over to the hangar. Once they left the barracks section, Captain Hoffman looks at her.

"You were quite quick to accept their enlistment, Lieutenant Bardgiruel." There was no contempt or frustration laced in his voice but curiosity.

"As much as it shocked me to hear them wanting to enlist as part of the _Archangel_ 's crew roster instead of heading down to Earth to live their lives peacefully, they've actually been a big help around the _Archangel_ ever since they volunteered. Which is quite amazing considering they have little military experience with these combat computers installed in the _Archangel_."

"I see. Well, if they're capable as you mention, then I'll leave them in your care. I have to return to the _Menelaos_ to make sure the refugees are all accounted for before sending them to Earth." He turns around to salute before her. "It's been nice chatting with you, Lieutenant Bardgiruel."

She returns the formal gesture. "Same here, Captain Hoffman. Good luck in your endeavors."

Moving from the barracks section to the hangar, Kira, in his civilian clothes, was taking a last look on the Strike. Despite being relieved to finally live his life in a peaceful manner, the young teenager cannot help but look at the G-Unit with a sad look on his face.

" _Although I'll never miss combat, I'll definitely miss flying the Strike. Weird as it may sound, I've grown attached to the unit. I don't know why but in a short amount of time I was in it, my entire being seems to connect with it even though I initially didn't want to for fear of actually fighting in the war._ "

As he continues to sort out his feelings, he never noticed Admiral Halberton walking on the catwalk. Stopping by to see the young lad staring at the Strike he decides to get his attention by calling it out for him.

"Feeling a bit of nostalgia now that you're disembarking, eh?"

Kira turns around to see Admiral Halberton staring up at him. He flew down to the catwalk to meet up with him.

"You're Kira Yamato I take it, yes?"

"Yes sir. That's me."

The admiral extends his hand to the young lad. "A pleasure to meet you son." Kira shook his hand before the two retracted. "I read about you in the reports. I'm just taken by the sheer amazing abilities you had with piloting the Strike even though it was your first time on board a military machine with little to no military training."

The young boy blushed at the praise he is getting. "Well I wouldn't say it was amazing sir. I had very few issues with it here and there but I just chalk it up to luck."

The older man chuckles in amusement. "Ah the modest one I see but you have to give yourself some credit. Not many pilots can figure out the ins and outs of this machine in such a short time such as yourself." He then faces the deactivated Strike. "You know, these prototypes were built to cope with ZAFT's mobile suits in the battlefield. The moment a person of your caliber enters in them, they end up becoming super weapons."

"I wouldn't go so far to saying that, sir. Even with the amazing features installed in this mobile suit, they're not indestructible by any means."

"True my dear boy. That's very true." A pregnant pause for a few minutes before the admiral takes the conversation to a different note. "I just want to say thank you for all the hard work you've done in making sure the Strike is not only safe but also the _Archangel_ and everybody aboard. I know the circumstances haven't been kind to you but you never allowed it to weigh you down. Rather, you toughed it out and prevailed. Something that a lot of Earth Alliance soldiers should take note of."

The young man smiles at him. "Thank you for the kind words sir but if there is anybody who encouraged me to continue on, it'd be Mu La Flaga and Jack Cooper. Mu even told me that if I have the capabilities to make a difference, I may as well use them."

"True but you must remember, Kira, only those with the will can see things through the end. Remember those words, young lad."

Admiral Halberton turned around to Captain Hoffman on the catwalk. He walked up to his superior officer. "Sir, I'll be heading back to the _Menelaos_ first to make sure the Heliopolis refugees on board are ready to go."

"Very well. I'll catch up with you on another shuttle."

Hoffman salutes before turning around to the elevator shaft. Kira follows suit to board the next shuttle leaving the _Archangel_. When the two left the catwalk via elevator shaft, he sees Cooper getting off his machine in his standard Militia pilot uniform.

"Ah Cooper. How goes everything on the adjustments with your machine?"

Turning around he gives the commander of the Eighth Fleet a salute. "Not too bad sir. Took me quite a bit of time before I got the kinks sorted out. Oh, before you go, I have somebody you'd like to meet. BT, say hello to Admiral Halberton."

" **Greetings Admiral Halberton. My name is Bravo-Tango Seven Two Seven Four but you may call me BT. A pleasure to meet you.** "

Just like the others who initially met the Titan AI, Admiral Halberton blinks in shock, surprise, and awe at the interaction.

"W-well, it's a pleasure to meet you BT." He then turns to Cooper who the mercenary chuckles. "Cool, isn't he?" says Cooper.

"He definitely is but how is it possible for such an AI to exist? The ones the military programmers and engineers created are never this complex and advanced."

"Well do I have a story to tell you."

The two men chatted for quite some time, with Cooper giving him tiny bits of information while hiding the rest of the information to himself. Although Admiral Halberton is a trustworthy and honorable fellow from first impressions, he still wants to make sure the information pertaining to BT is safe with him.

The two lost track of time before the alarms around the Archangel begin to blare.

"All hands to level one battle stations! I repeat, all hands to level one battle stations! This is not a drill!"

"Well, Cooper I believe this is it for us. I need to head back to the shuttle to make sure the _Menelaos_ is ready for combat duty."

Before he can move, the Militia pilot places a hand on his shoulders. "Sir, with all due respect, there's no time for that. If you exit the _Archangel_ in the middle of a battlefield, there's a likely chance for you to be shot down, leaving the entire fleet without a proper commander. It's best if you stay on the bridge for safety and command the field from there."

He silently pondered on this for a minute before consenting to his request. "Very well. Good luck out there Cooper."

Duane left the catwalk heading up to the bridge while he jumped in the cockpit to get himself ready to go.

"Let's rumble BT."

" **Back at you, Cooper.** "

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **And this a wrap for chapter ten! Oh man there are many things we need to talk about in this chapter so let us get to it!**

 **First, we have Cooper now officially making a formal contract with the _Archangel_. Remember, in the previous chapters, he did not make one when he boarded the ship since he decided to help them out due to the current situation they are flung into. He now takes this chance to make one. **

**With Cooper now officially an _Archangel_ crew member, well I guess you can say he is technically one since he is not enlisted in the Earth Forces per say, Murrue can now take her plans to get closer to her object of affections. Besides, there is no way in hell I am going to let the Murrue x Cooper ship sink this early in the story so I made sure he is a permanent _Archangel_ crew member.**

 **Second are the new additional crew members in the _Archangel_ , Rena Imelia and Jane Houston.**

 **Now from what I read on Miss Imelia, she was the trainer of the five original G-Unit pilots but as we all know those guys were dead during the Heliopolis raid. However, since Kira is the new pilot for the Strike, she can mentor the kid into becoming an excellent pilot.**

 **You have to remember, Kira, despite being an Ultimate Coordinator, is still a civilian. Sure he displayed great battle prowess on the field but he is no veteran soldier like the others are. So having her in the _Archangel_ will be a great fit.**

 **As for Jane Houston, I made her into a mobile armor pilot. Sure, she was portrayed in Gundam SEED Astray as a mobile suit pilot but I have a feeling she was a mobile armor first and foremost before having to get her hands on a mech. As for the unit I designated her with, the FXet-565 Cosmograsper, it is a space fighter unit. It bears an identical appearance as the FX-550 Skygrasper but this unit is made to fight in space like the Moebius and Moebius Zero units. I guess the only difference between the Cosmograsper and the Skygrasper are the engines. The space unit uses rocket thrusters while the atmospheric one uses jet thrusters. Otherwise, it has the capability to use Striker Packs just like the Skygrasper.**

 **There is not a lot of information regarding this unit such as the number of missions it ran and its battle efficiency ratings but I can imagine it performs well in the hands of a capable pilot.**

 **Now, from what I read up on her, she is Ed Harrelson's ex-girlfriend and an ace mobile suit pilot, manning the GAT-01 Strike Dagger first before moving over to the GAT-706S Deep Forbidden and GAT-X255 Forbidden Blue which are aquatic mobile suits. She earned the nickname _White Whale_ by ZAFT due to her underwater fighting prowess. ****Personality wise, I do not have a single clue since she does not appear in the main cannon, only in Gundam SEED Astray so forgive me if I portray her as a cheery individual. I have not watched Gundam SEED Astray to fully know her so well so if I made her OOC, then please correct me in the review section.**

 **Third point is a twist I added in the story and that is Flay leaving the _Archangel_. Now obviously Flay did not leave the ship because she wanted to make sure she gets close to Kira and use him for her sick plot but in this story, I decided to have her leave the ship. **

**In my personal opinion, and I do not know if all of you agree with it, but I really do not think Flay should ever be in the _Archangel_ at all. She honestly does not know how the military works since her father is a political figure, not a military one. She is dead weight to the crew in the major bulk of the first season because I do not even think I ever saw her do a single job in the ship that can contribute to the war effort. If manipulating the poor lad name Kira Yamato in her sick schemes is work, then I guess she did great on that but to be real, I do not even think you can count that as a military job. **

**You can say she did some work as a crew member for the _Dominion_ but how many episodes was that in the season? If I remember correctly, it was almost at the end of the series which was what? Ten episodes? Probably less? **

**Another pet peeve I have with the first season.** **Why have a dead weight character in the story where he or she will not do something significant compared to the other characters and only serve as a character people clearly despise and will continue despise in the series?**

 **Hence why I threw a plot twister in this story. I honestly think she should not stay in the Archangel.**

 **I also have Cooper introducing BT to Admiral Halberton. I can already see people in the review section saying, why should you have him introduce the Titan AI to an EA admiral. Well, for starters, if I did not have Duane Halberton live, (which he is for my story), then it would not matter much because he will be keeping such a secret to the grave. Besides, it is better if he meets BT earlier than later because he is now part of the _Archangel_ gang and will be interacting with him somewhat in the story. Best to get it out of the way.**

 **Also Admiral Halberton lives! Well I already said that in the last chapter so no surprise there.**

 **So this is about it. Let me know if I should be changing anything in this chapter. Leave your feedback in the review sections that is constructive and helpful. Flames are not allowed and I will not tolerate it in any way, shape, or form. I know I am a broken record for saying it but there are some reviewers out there in the internet world who just love to continue bashing and hating without offering any helpful feedback as to why I should correct this mistake.**

 **Here is what I am going to say to those haters. Go FUCK yourselves.**

 **There is a question I want to ask and that is about atmospheric reentry. I know in the Titanfall universe, Titans drop in the battlefield from a carrier, usually above a planet in space, via titanfall. Not only do Titans fall from space into the battlefield with just the frame but pilots in a Titan can also do a titanfall. If you want to know what I am talking about, just watch a couple videos of Titan brawl. If you die from losing a Titan fight in Titan Brawl, you spawn in automatically in your Titan to resume the match.**

 **With that said, let us focus on the story. Now that BT is in a modified ZAFT commander-produced unit, can he drop into Earth the same way he normally drops in Titanfall or should it be done in a different manner? After all, a mobile suit frame is not the same as a Titan frame due to different specs and features in those units. Let me know in the review section about your answer.**

 **Anyways, I will see you in the next chapter. See ya.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

 **A/N:**

 **Alrighty ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to another chapter of Mobile Suit Titan SEED! I made a correction on the last chapter by adding Rena Imelia into the fold. When a few of you guys pointed out to me that she was the original mentor of the five mobile suit pilots for the five G-Units, it instantly clicked in my mind that she would make a great mentor for Kira. After all, she can give him some tips and tricks into becoming a better mobile suit pilot for the upcoming future battles.**

 **So I just had to make sure the lady is in the picture.**

 **Of course, we will still have Jane Houston in the mix but other than that we are set to go.**

 **At first I was a bit worried that many of you would not be so supportive of me kicking Flay off the picture in the last chapter but it seems that I was wrong. Besides, with her out of the way, Kira can concentrate more without having her trying to distract the lad.**

 **Alrighty, without further ado, let us get this show rolling!**

 **Legend:**

 **Hello – BT-7274 Speaking**

 _ **Hello**_ **– Thoughts, or flashback.**

 **Hello** **– Radio communications, news media outlet.**

 **Disclaimer: Titanfall belongs to Respawn Entertainment while Gundam SEED belongs to Sunrise and directed by Mitsudo Fukuda.**

* * *

 _Jack Davidson Cooper's Log Book 3.2_

 _Hey, guys it's your resident mercenary, Jack Cooper speaking. Speaking of work, I'm officially a private contractor with the Archangel, with Admiral Halberton signing the deal for me. I could've signed any other contract that didn't need to be typical frontline stuff but as I said, I've grown attached to the crew._

 _That and the ship is still understaffed. Well I guess you could say our new additions to the crew are Miss Rena Imelia and Miss Jane Houston along with the admiral but even with three people on board the Archangel, it still didn't solve our problems much. Everybody isn't really enthusiastic about the whole understaff situation but what can we do?_

 _It's just the way the world works, I guess?_

 _Speaking of our new crew members, I've talked with some of my fellow pilots in the Archangel and I was quite…intrigued with them. Miss Imelia, to my surprise, is the mentor of the five original G-Unit pilots, training them extensively to get good with their respective mobile suits. I was sharing some laughs with her when she gave me a couple funny detailed stories about each training session and how she wanted to pull her hair in frustration because of the rookies are overcomplicating these simulations. To be fair, I can't really blame them because the mobile suit cockpits have so many controls, buttons, adjustment settings and the list goes on that it can make any rookie pilot overwhelmed._

 _Geez, it's like piloting a spaceship instead of a mech._

 _Jane, on the other hand, is an…interesting character. If there's anything I can say about her, she's like a female version of Mu. Hell, in all honesty, I would've probably considered her Mu's young sister. Though I can see some hints of bitterness and sadness oozing from cheery, happy-go-lucky attitude. I wanted to know why she's acting like that but I have a feeling it's a personal issue. And you know me, I don't bring up personal issues because they're none of my business._

 _Anyways, I have to get going. ZAFT is ready to fight us again as they try their hardest to take us down before we descend into Earth. Here's the thing I'm wondering. Just what will it take to have those guys to stop chasing us?!_

 _Jack Cooper, Pilot of BT-7274, 41st Militia Rifle Battalion._

* * *

In space, the three ZAFT ships, the _Ziegler_ , _Vesalius_ , and _Gamow_ opened up their hangars to begin their assault on the Eighth Fleet. Within a minute, GINNs equipped with D-equipment and their machine guns, CGUEs, the Duel, Buster, Aegis, and Blitz are out in space. A few GINNs decided to stand back to act as a defensive line just in case any enemy mobile armors were able to get past their teams and ready to sink them. The rest went spear heading towards the enemy fleet who are sending their pink Moebius units out to the frontlines.

As the teams continue to boost their way to the battle zone, Rau connected the _Vesalius_ ' radio channels to the cockpits of the mobile suits heading to the battlefield.

"Attention all ZAFT teams, this is Commander Le Creuset. Our main priority is to sink the legged ship along with the units in the EA ship. We have a limited time window to strike and every second counts. The legged ship and those units mustn't descend to the Earth _at all costs_. Don't concentrate on the Eighth Fleet and their mobile armors as much since we will be providing some supportive fire on them but your attention must be on the legged ship. Understand?"

"Yes sir!"

"Very well. Good luck to each and every one of you out there. Let's make end this once and for all."

As the ZAFT units approached the Eighth Fleet, mobile armors begin to fire their armaments at the invading teams. The GINNs, Duel, Aegis, Buster, and Blitz, split off in different directions, taking the Eighth Fleet on in multiple angles as they make their way to the prize in the form of a white warship.

Orange clouds of explosions, emerald beams, and machine gun fire liters the battlefield as the fight above Earth begins.

* * *

As the battle continues to progress, the Eight Fleet is making a valiant stand against the mighty ZAFT forces, boxing in the _Menelaos_ and the _Archangel_ in a tight formation. On paper, the Earth Forces have the numerical advantage since they have quite a number of naval ships protecting the _Archangel_ and many mobile armors deployed in the field while the advancing ZAFT forces only have a handful of mobile suits and three naval ships.

On paper, the Earth Alliance should be the clear victor in this fight, not ZAFT since they have the numerical superiority compared to their enemies. However, what the latter lacks in quantity, they make up for in quality.

The Eighth Fleet is placing a lot of effort into their attacks as much as they can to stall the enemy forces from trying to take a shot at the _Archangel_ and the _Menelaos_ , which they are able to succeed to some degree. The ships were able to reduce a few GINNs equipped with D-equipment to ashes while two CGUE units were destroyed by the _Archangel_.

Still, despite reducing a few of their numbers, the ZAFT pilots manning their mobile suits are a mighty force, against the Eighth Fleet. About half of the fleet is already wiped out with some of the ships either reduced to a smoldering wreck or disabled by the ZAFT mobile suits, losing control on their engines as a result.

As for the Eighth Fleet's mobile armors, well...it is quite sad to say the least. Some of the lesser experienced pilots surprisingly landed some hits against the incoming ZAFT teams, destroying at least three of them by ganging up and flanking every possible position they can get to prevent the agile space mobile suits from leaving their sights. Yet, despite the achievement of taking out three GINNs with their Moebius units, these pilots are still rookies, not war-hardened veterans. The more experienced ZAFT pilots were still able to wreck them in the field, not even breaking a sweat at all. These inferior machines are nothing more than target practice.

Speaking of ZAFT pilots, the four G-pilots continue to take out Moebius units left, right and center. Dearka fired the Buster's gun launcher, destroying a handful of Moebius units with ease while the remaining few emerged from the smoke, unleashing their missiles at the prototype artillery unit.

Dearka did not even bother to dodge them thanks to the Buster's Phase Shift Armor, taking the damage without even flinching or worrying. "That's cute but you'll need some serious fire power if you want to kill me."

The Buster unleashes its missile barrage, destroying the remaining Moebius armor units with ease. While the artillery unit continues to pick off the Earth Alliance pink mobile armors, the Duel, outfitted with its new assault shroud, picks off one Moebius unit after another, destroying multiple units in quick succession. One of them was able to get a sneaky angle on the Duel, firing its two missiles before unleashing a few shots from its linear gun. The hits immediately nailed the Duel but thanks to its assault shroud, it did not even make a single dent.

The blue machine turned around at the offending unit before shooting it down with its beam rifle, destroying the unit into smoldering wreck. "Where the hell is the Strike at?! Where is it?!"

Unfortunately, more Meobius units continue to appear on the screen, further fueling Yzak's anger to a new height. If you can consider one that is. "Grr…I don't have time for you pests! Get the hell out of my way!"

The Duel danced around the incoming shots from the pesky pink armors, firing each and every single one of them with its beam rifle. The stolen prototype did not even bother to look back at its handiwork, as its only mission is to find the Strike and settle the score once and for all.

"Argh that fucking Strike pilot! Hiding behind these worthless EA bastards like the coward he is! When I get my hands on him, nothing will stop me from kicking his sorry ass!"

Yzak spots an Agamemnon-class ship setting its sights on him. Gritting his teeth in frustration, he guns for the ship, destroying the cannons before appearing before them on the bridge. Aiming its Shiva shoulder-mounted railgun, the Duel fired a couple shots at the bridge before leaving, resulting in the ship's demise.

"These guys aren't even worth my time! I'll have to figure out a way to bypass them before taking out the legged ship and Strike in one go!"

Yzak flew off, finding a flanking route to get past the blockade. While Yzak continues to find his way to the _Archangel_ , the Blitz and the Aegis concentrated on the ships blocking them from taking out the _Archangel_. Athrun had his unit dodge a couple beams from an Earth Alliance Drake-class ship before transforming the Aegis into its mobile armor configuration. Once transformed, it fired its Scylla energy cannon, puncturing a hole into the naval ship. Not only did it puncture through the naval ship but it also punctured through another Drake-class ship destroying two of them within one shot.

When the two ships exploded in a fiery blaze, the blue-haired pilot turned around to see Nicol finishing up an Agamemnon-class ship by firing its beam rifle from the Trikeros shield right at the beam cannons before firing right at the bridge.

Just when the Blitz finished up mopping the Agamemnon ship, Athrun spots a Moebius unit trying to gain a positional shot on the black stealth unit.

"Nicol! Watch out!" The Aegis aims its beam rifle before firing right at the unit dead center. The Moebius flew back a few inches before exploding.

The young man breathes a sigh of relief before seeing Nicol's face on the video screen. "Thanks for the save there Athrun!"

"No problem but you have to be mindful of your surroundings! I can't always be there to save your hind every time, you know?"

"I know that, but I'm pretty sure the Blitz can handle whatever the Moebius unleashes at it."

Athrun destroyed another Moebius Zero with the Aegis's beam rifle before turning back to Nicol. "I get it that these machines created by the EA are amazing but you should know that each and every one of our mobile suits isn't invincible. That sort of attitude will get you killed someday on the field."

"True but the Blitz can take damage way better than the GINNs or the CGUEs. As long as there aren't units wielding beam or electrical weaponry like the custom CGUE unit, I'll be fine." Nicol took out another Moebius unit, not letting the enemy unit fire a single shot, before heading straight to another Earth Alliance ship. While the man is making short work of the naval vessel, he looks around to see the familiar machines of the legged ship not present in the battlefield. "Still, don't you think it's strange for the legged ship to not send their units out in the fight? We should be seeing the Strike, the Moebius Zero, and the custom CGUE unit fighting us by now."

He too also found it strange. At this point in the fight, they should be out in the field, fighting his comrades while the four units try to overwhelm to gain a window of opportunity to attack the legged ship. Hell, they should be out in the beginning of the fight, not in the middle of the fight.

Whatever the case may be, the only focus on the mission is to make sure the _Archangel_ does not descend to Earth at all costs. "I, too, also find it strange that the legged ship isn't sending out their units but we can't dwell on it at the moment. If they come out, then we'll engage them. Our mission is to stop the legged ship before it can enter Earth and we have to fulfill it before they can turn the tide of this war around."

"Right, right. Still, the EA's Eighth Fleet ships aren't making it easier for us. Not to mention, I'm spotting a few support units coming this way to prevent us from taking out the legged ship. They're blocking every route we take."

"Then we have no choice but to fight our way through. Split up and find a way to get these vessels off the field."

The two G-Units went their separate ways, fighting their way through the naval blockade while taking out enemy armors on their path. As Athrun continues to take out one vessel at a time, he connects his radio channel to another strike team. "Wilson Team, this is Lieutenant Zala of the Aegis. I spotted a squad of reinforcements coming in to aid the Eighth Fleet. I want you to take them out before they can enter in the fray. The less enemies to shoot, the better."

"Understood, Lieutenant Zala. We'll take it from here. You focus on taking out the EA legged ship."

While the Eighth Fleet ships and armors continue to fend off the incoming ZAFT teams, Admiral Halberton and the four teens stepped in the _Archangel_ 's bridge surprising everybody, most especially Murrue.

"A-Admiral Halberton? Not to question your stay here on the ship but…what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be back on the _Menelaos_?" She then looks to the four Orb natives taking their original posts, getting to work. "Also, why are the children coming to the bridge? Shouldn't they be boarding the shuttle along with the rest of the refugees?"

"Crewmen Argyle, Haww, Koenig, and Buskirk handed their discharge papers back to Captain Hoffman as they wanted to officially enlist. I and Captain Hoffman accepted their registration and are now official crew members of the _Archangel_." answered Natarle.

Admiral Halberton smiles warmly at the courage of these teenagers before focusing on the battle ahead of them. "As for me, I was supposed to head back but Cooper convinced me to stay here. After all, if I try to board a shuttle while a battle rages on, there's a likely chance for me to get killed in the crossfire leaving the whole entire fleet without a commanding officer. I'll command the battle from here, if that's fine with you, Captain Ramius."

Everybody did not say argue with the admiral, seeing the logic behind that reasoning. Still, Murrue cannot help but thank Cooper for convincing him to stay here in the _Archangel_. If he did not, her teacher will likely die as they make their stand to make sure the _Archangel_ descends to Alaska and continue their operations from there.

She lost her boyfriend in the flames of war and she will not let her teacher be another person added to the list of close people dear to her.

"No problem sir! You're the highest-ranking officer here so you take the reins. It's only proper since the Eighth Fleet is yours to command with in the first place. Not mine."

"Thank you." He then turns to Natarle. "Now then, let's get to work. Lieutenant Bardgiruel, I want the _Archangel_ to hail the _Menelaos_ immediately! I need to contact Captain Hoffman to tell him about our plan."

"Yes sir. Crewman Argyle, connect the _Archangel_ 's radios to the _Menelaos_ ' on the double."

Sai typed a couple codes into the screen before the connection has been made between the two ships. "Connection made! Patching him through."

On the viewing window, the screen showcases Hoffman looking a bit distraught that his superior officer is not here with them. "What's going on here, Captain Ramius? Where's Admiral Halberton? He should be here commanding the battle on the _Menelaos_."

"I'm right here, Captain Hoffman." answers Halberton.

The portly man blinks in surprise to see him with the white warship. "S-sir? What are you doing over there? I thought you'd come here on the second transport?"

"Unfortunately, I lost track of time when the battle already started. If I try to board back to the ship while that's going on, there's a good chance of me getting shot. Don't worry, I'll command the battle from here. You, Captain Hoffman, will be in charge of the _Menelaos_ in my stead."

As much as he wanted to protest about such a brash action, there is no time to argue. Especially with a battle going on and ZAFT kicking their ass six ways till Sunday. Dispersing them away, he salutes to his superior officer. "Very well sir. So what do you have in mind, Admiral Halberton?"

"Deploy N-Jammers and anti-beam depth charges immediately. Tell all ships to block off the enemy's route as much as they can to prevent them from taking out the _Archangel_. If Commander Le Creuset is the one orchestrating this operation, then expect the stolen prototypes to show up. We'll let the _Archangel_ stay next to the _Menelaos_ and push back as many ZAFT forces away from the fleet as we can. Do you understand the plan?"

"Yes sir!"

The newly-promoted captain, however, protested this strategy, seeing how the ZAFT forces are slowly pushing their way through the blockade. "Admiral Halberton, with all due respect, we can't stay in this battle for too long. The ZAFT forces under Commander Le Creuset are slicing their way through the blockade. We're a big target and if we continue to stay here, the entire fleet will be annihilated."

Taking a deep breath, she then requested her teacher permission to descend to Earth. "Requesting permission to have the _Archangel_ enter in entry interface."

Everybody's eyes widened at the request. To enter in such a state amidst a chaotic battle situation such as this one is suicidal! A minute of silence passed the bridge as a Nelson-class ship floated in a downward direction before exploding in a fiery blaze of glory. The GINN carrying a Canus rocket launcher was immediately ganged up by four Moebius units, with the pink armors firing everything at their arsenal, vaporizing the ZAFT mass production unit to ashes.

It was then that Halberton begins to chuckle in amusement at his student's attitude. "Ah your recklessness knows no bounds, doesn't it Murrue?"

She only smiled at her mentor. "Well you know how the saying goes, a student learns much from her teacher."

"You're right on your assessment there, Murrue. We're just a big target to ZAFT and the fleet will be annihilated if we just sit here and provide supporting fire for them. As much as I don't want to, we have no choice but to pull out of this fight and descend to Earth."

He turns to Captain Hoffman on screen. "Captain Hoffman, I want you and the rest of the Eighth Fleet to provide cover for us while we descend to Earth. Make sure not a single enemy tries to get through this formation as much as possible."

"Yes sir! I'll carry out your orders to all the other ships of the fleet." He then salutes to the admiral. "It's been an honor serving with you sir. Goodspeed to you in your endeavors."

He returns the gesture to his second in command. "And you as well, my friend."

When Captain Hoffman closes the line, Murrue immediately receives a call from the hangar. Accepting the call, it shows Mu and Jack in the hangar, wearing concerned expressions on their faces. "Captain Ramius, why the hell are we still on standby? The Eighth Fleet is in danger against ZAFT and if we don't get out there and help them out, they'll be wiped out in a matter of minutes!"

Murrue frowned at the tone the Hawk of Endymion is giving her but pushed it aside for the moment. "Commander La Flaga. We're not going to stay in this fight for long. We're pulling out and enter in entry interface."

This made the two raise their eyebrows in surprise, more so with Mu than Jack. "So we're ditching the Eighth Fleet to fend themselves against Commander Le Creuset's teams?"

"I wouldn't say ditch but they're providing us cover as we make our way in Earth's atmosphere. Of course, we'll be providing some supporting fire but we'll be beginning our descent to Alaska soon."

"Then we may as well launch out of the ship and make sure the process is completed without any interruptions. I assume the process to go into such a mode takes a lot longer. Highly doubt those ZAFT bastards are going to sit there and let us complete atmospheric entry." says Cooper.

Before the brunette captain can say anything, Chandra immediately reports about the casualties sustained in the fight. "The _Seleukos_ has been bombed and is unable to continue to fight. The _Cassandros_ has been silenced along with the _Antigonos_ and the _Ptolemaios_. Enemy Nazca-class ship, the _Vesalius_ , and Laurasia-class ship, the _Gamow_ , are approaching the battlefield. The _Xerxes_ and _Paris_ are moving to the front to engage the incoming G-Units."

Everybody was stunned to hear the rate things are heading in the battlefield. "What?! Four ships have been sunk in less than six minutes within the fight?! How's that even possible?!" asks a shocked Natarle.

Before a response can be voiced, Duane immediately turns his attention to the two pilots in the _Archangel_ hangar. "Permission granted. You're correct on the entry interface taking a bit of a process to enter so we may as well have all pilots help out in the battlefield before we enter into stage three of the process. There, you should be back in the ship as it makes its descent to the atmosphere. Understand?"

The two pilots smiled before closing the call. Murrue turned around, asking if it was a good idea to send them out into battle. "Are you sure it's alright to send them out in the midst of a heated battle while we try to get the process started?"

"I have complete faith in their piloting skills. They can manage this. Of course, we'll have to make sure each of them is in the ship before we hit stage three but we need as much covering fire as we can to make sure we aren't interrupted." He then looks over to one of the crew members. "Crewman, I want you to connect the ship's broadcasting channels with the rest of the fleet's ships."

Romero did as he was told before giving the thumbs up to Admiral Halberton. Taking a deep breath, he delivers his speech to the rest of the surviving remnants of the Eighth Fleet.

"Attention all units within the Eighth Fleet, this is Admiral Halberton speaking. From this point on, the focus of the battle is to protect the Archangel until it arrives at the atmosphere's entry interface. We expect this to be a furious battle but considering the future situation in this war, we cannot afford to lose this ship! Change formation immediately to blockade any ZAFT unit trying to sink it. With the will and determination of the Eighth Fleet, we'll make certain that not a single unit gets pass us. Show these ZAFT forces what the Earth Alliance is made of!"

Speaking of the two pilots, Jack and Mu hopped in their machines along with Rena and Jane. As they enter in their respective units, Jack sees Mu's face on the video screen in the cockpit. "Looks like we're gonna be thrown into hell pretty soon. I probably shouldn't have been so eager to actually launch off the ship in such a chaotic situation…"

Jack snorts at the blonde pilot. Figures he would say something like this when for a minute he wanted to get out in the field and fight. "What's this? First minute you demanded Murrue to let us out and now you're singing a different tune? It's too late to pull out because we're gonna be committed to our mission."

Rena's face immediately pops in the upper left screen. "He's right, Commander La Flaga. Once you're committed to an action, you have to make sure you see it through the end. Besides, this shouldn't be the first time you've been dragged in a chaotic sortie such as this one."

"Er…well…compared to the other missions I've ran, this one doesn't even compare to the others I've done over the course of this war."

Much to every pilot's surprise, Kira's face appears on the video screen. "Even if we do shake off the GINNs, the four mobile suits will still pose a problem for us in the future. After all, we're in level one battle stations, yes?"

Nobody said anything for a minute before Mu breaks the silence. "Kid…I thought you boarded the shuttle with the rest of the refugees. What are you doing here in the Strike?"

Before Kira can make a comment, Cooper regards Kira with a neutral look on his face behind his pilot helmet. Whether serious or not, nobody knows. "Looks like you made up your mind son. Judging by you wearing the EA uniform and boarding the Strike means something and I know you know what I'm talking about. Question is, you truly want to get back in the action? Once you're in, there's no turning back."

Without any hesitation, the young lad nods his head to his older brother figure. "Without a doubt, Cooper. Besides, if I have the capabilities to make a difference and have a will to see it through the end, then why not do it?"

This brought a smile to the two men. "Then, welcome back kid. Glad to have you with us. Listen, we'll be launching out of the ship to provide some covering fire while the Archangel preps itself for atmospheric entry. We'll hold them out as much as we can before we head back in the ship at stage three. Get it?"

"Got it Cooper. You guys go ahead since I need to make some adjustments to the Strike. I'll launch when I'm ready."

"Good man." Kira's face immediately zipped from his screen before he turns to the other pilots. "Alright ladies and gentlemen, looks like Mu, Jane and I will head out first because we're ready to go."

"That's fine Cooper. I need to make sure the OS in the Dagger is good to go before I head outside." says Rena.

"Take your time, Rena. I ain't rushing you to hurry up. See ya on the battlefield. Jack Cooper, CGUE, launching!"

Jack and BT rolled out from the catapult before taking out the modified MMI-M7S machine gun from the right wing. Pulling the safety off the weapon, the alarms in his cockpit blared, warning him of the incoming GINNs and CGUEs heading his way.

" **Cooper, we have incoming hostiles coming int at nine o'clock!** " warns BT.

"So the welcome wagon has arrived, eh? Time to show these guys how we Militia pilots greet our guests. Come and give me a hand in greeting them, BT."

Swiftly placing a fresh magazine in the machine gun, he immediately guns for the incoming squad as they fire their D-equipment and machine guns right at the custom unit. Cooper activates the Vortex shield, capturing the projectiles in the blue magnetic shield, letting them run their weapons dry. Once they run their magazine dry, Cooper released the massive salvo right back at them, tearing the CGUE unit along with a about a handful of GINNs to pieces leaving at least five remaining.

Not letting up in his assault, Cooper immediately used the vulcan shield to tear two GINNs wielding their Cattus rocket launchers and destroyed another two using the Canus guided missile launchers. The remaining three GINNs shook themselves out of their stupor as they resume shooting down the infamous custom CGUE. Cooper swam around the barrage storm with grace while he fires back at the enemy units.

He destroyed two GINNs with ease while the third throws its Cattus launcher in favor of its machine gun. Unfortunately, the poor mass-produced unit would not be able to do such a thing because the custom CGUE punched through its cockpit, grabbing the pilot from the seat. Once the enemy pilot is in BT's servo, the Titan-turned-mobile suit crushed the pilot, reducing said pilot to a red bloody cloud. The husk that is the GINN floated aimlessly in space before a random emerald beam went through the frame, destroying the metallic husk into ashes.

Jack's cockpit blares to see some incoming GINN and CGUE units firing their machine guns at him. Before he can do anything, several emerald streaks coursed through space, hitting each enemy unit square on the cockpit before they detonated in large orange clouds. Looking back, he spots Rena's machine, her Dagger, wielding a boxy beam rifle and shield along with two beam sabers strapped to the hip unit.

Rena spotted another sneaky GINN aiming its machine gun right at Cooper. Taking aim, she fired the Dagger's rifle, the emerald energy hitting straight through the GINN sending the doomed unit tumbling a foot or two before exploding.

Lowering her beam rifle, Rena contacts the Militia pilot through her comms. "I know my mobile suit is delicious to look at but please do keep your mind on the battle."

"Uh…right. Sorry about that."

"No problem but that aside, Captain Ramius told me to report to you that the Archangel has four minutes before it enters in final stage."

"That means we have to hold out for a bit before we head back to the ship. The fleet might not last at the rate things are going."

"Which is why we need to hurry. Split up and take out the remaining ZAFT teams. Once they're gone, we need to regroup back to the _Archangel_."

"Sounds good to me!"

The two mobile suits split off in different directions, taking out the remaining ZAFT units within the area. Cooper loaded a new magazine into the machine gun before spotting four GINNs finishing off a Drake-class ship. He immediately fired off a hailstorm of lead, eliminating the two units before using the vulcan shield to take care of the remaining two units.

With that squad out of the way, another squad of five came in the scene, unleashing their Cattus rockets and machine gun bullets at the custom CGUE. Activating the Vortex Shield, the bullets and rockets are caught in the blue magnetic shield. With all the units running their magazines dry, Cooper unleashed their attacks right at them, tearing three units to pieces while damaging the other two. Cooper finished them off before he spots Rena finishing up mopping the retreating units.

Cooper's cockpit blared its alarm as a lone CGUE unit approached him firing its machine gun right him. Quickly grabbing the broadsword, he blocks the shots with the vulcan shield before jamming the sword through the cockpit once the enemy mobile suit is within striking distance. The Militia pilot yanks the sword away before kicking the doomed unit from him. Electrical sparks coursed through the machine before imploding in a fiery ball of flames.

"That all Cooper?" asks Rena, flying next to him at his side.

"Pretty much. The only ones I spot on the radar are the four prototypes but all ZAFT teams tasked in destroying the fleet have been wiped out."

"Then we need to head back to the _Archangel_ before things get too dicey. The pilots in those G-Units are about to tear through the blockade any moment now."

"Right."

The two mobile suit pilots retreated back to the _Archangel_ where it is nearing the Earth's atmosphere. As they flew their way to the white warship, the two spotted the _Archangel_ 's catapult doors opening up. Five seconds later, the Strike came out equipped with its Alie Pack. The prototype mobile suit stalled for a second as Earth's gravity is holding the machine back but Kira made some quick adjustments to the Strike before successfully pulling out of the tremendous gravitational pull.

Right at the corner of his eye, he spots the Buster and the Duel passing their way throug the blockade, destroying the ships trying to block them. The Aegis and the Blitz are trailing right behind them. What even caught his attention is the Laurasia-class ship, the _Gamow_ , barreling straight into the fray, firing its beam cannons and machine guns at the descending _Archangel_ with the _Menelaos_ intercepting them.

Cooper was quite stunned to see the audacious move the Laurasia-class ship is taking. "Are these guys serious? They're heading straight into a suicide run!"

Before Rena can say something, the two pilots saw a Cosmograsper unit flying around the _Gamow_ , unleashing its beam cannons and machine guns around the vessel, further damaging it as the gravitational pull brings it down. Jane was about to make another pass around the _Gamow_ until the Buster decided to pull up with its high energy beam rifle aimed at the unit.

"Not on my watch!"

Just Dearka was about to pull the trigger, a hailstorm of electric lead hits his machine's frame causing him to back out. Mu went in to harass the artillery unit by disengaging his Moebius Zero's gun barrel pods and rain down suppressive fire on the artillery unit.

Cooper flew next to Jane, connecting his comms to hers. "You okay there, Jane?"

"Yeah. Thanks for the save there, Coop. If you didn't show up, I would've been a goner by now. I definitely owe you one."

"Don't worry about it, I got your back. Now head over to the _Archangel_. Mu, Kira and I will cover the descent."

Not needing to be told twice, the blonde mobile armor pilot immediately flew down to the _Archangel_ , heading back to the hangar bay. Looking over, he spots Rena fighting the Aegis and Blitz while spotting the _Archangel_ descending closer Earth at the corner of the cockpit. Connecting his comms to her, he tells Rena to retreat from the two prototypes.

"Rena! Ditch those two and head back to the _Archangel_! I'm pretty sure they're about to unleash stage three of the atmospheric entry process!"

"Okay but what about you guys?"

"Don't worry about us. We'll provide some covering fire to make sure the _Archangel_ made its way down to its destination point!"

The raven-haired pilot hesitates for a moment before complying to his request. "Very well but make sure you get back to the ship when the _Archangel_ is at last the stage of the entry interface process. Understand?"

"Don't worry, Rena. Just trust me on this."

Disengaging her fight with the other two prototypes, she went towards the _Archangel_. Seeing the Aegis and Blitz chasing after her, he immediately fires his machine gun right at the two units to ward them off. It successfully worked since the two mobile suits backed away with the electric lead hitting their frames.

Seeing the G-Unit mentor inside the white warship, the Hawk of Endymion's face appeared on the left-hand video screen. "Cooper! My Moebius Zero can't go any further as the Earth's gravity is making my unit feel heavy! I'm heading back to the _Archangel_."

"Go ahead. I'll make sure the Buster wouldn't blast you from the sky."

"Much appreciated, Jack!"

Readjusting the settings in a quick manner to make BT more maneuverable around Earth's gravity, he flew over to the Buster with said mobile suit firing the high energy rifle at the retreating Moebius Zero. Cooper got in front of the shots, blocking them with his beam-coated vulcan shield while he fires his machine gun under the shield right at the G-Unit. Dearka flew back, as much as he can to prevent his unit from gaining further damage.

"Argh, this is such a pain in the ass! First, I can't even beat the freakin' pull from Earth and now my Buster is getting smashed by the enemy CGUE? Man this is the worst day ever!" Dearka frantically readjusts his mobile suit's settings, trying to have his machine fight the gravitational pull of the planet below them and get back to his comrades.

Seeing the artillery unit not firing back at him, he sees the doomed _Menelaos_ deploying the civilian shuttle while engaging in a fight against the equally damaged _Gamow_. When the shuttle left the doomed Earth Alliance ship, the transport got in between the Duel and the Strike.

Ignoring the two doomed ships duking it out, he guns the engines for the civilian shuttle, knowing full well that the shuttle is in immediate danger. "Fuck, I wonder if these guys know the definition of 'right timing'. They decide now is the best opportunity to let these civies go while Kira is engaging the Duel?! This is crazy!"

" **Considering the circumstances of the battle, sending out the civilian shuttle in the middle of this chaotic fight will likely result in shuttle's impending doom. We can hardly blame them for releasing them in such a time like this.** "

Cooper's lips forms in a thin line at his partner's correct assessment. "Regardless, we have to make sure the shuttle lands to Earth safely. If the Duel pilot ever decides to shoot them, then bastard will have a taste of this saved-up Burst Core, improvised armor or not."

" **What about our supposed rendezvous with** _ **Archangel**_ **?** "

He looks to both the Archangel and the two mobile suits before focusing his attention on the civilian shuttle. "I don't know if we can make it but we'll try our best. If not, we use our trusty Plan B landing setting."

BT did not need to ask him about what he means by the trusty setting. " **Very well. I will begin the process immediately.** "

Not only was he gunning for the civilian shuttle but also Kira as he tries his best to get the Strike near the shuttle. As the two are getting nearer and nearer, Yzak aims his rifle, not at the two machines but at the shuttle carrying the refugees.

"Not only did you interrupt my fight with the Strike but you're running away from the field like a bunch of cowards!"

Once getting a good line of sight at the shuttle, the hotheaded pilot immediately pulls the trigger. "DIE YOU EA BASTARDS!"

In slow motion, the emerald beam continues to course through the air, homing its way down to the shuttle. For a moment, it seems as though the people on board the shuttle are truly doomed as the deadly streak of energy is barreling its way through the air.

But a miracle happened. The custom CGUE, tossed its vulcan shield in an upright throw, having the defensive armament's shield plating deflect the shot. Kira flew behind the shuttle firing three beams at the Duel forcing it back. Cooper, on the other hand, decides to punish the bastard using his saved Burst Core.

Connecting his comms to the Duel, he immediately warns pilot the hurt he is going to get. "Oh no, you're not going away that easily bastard. You try to kill those civies and I can't let trash like you live a minute longer."

Activating the Burst Core, Cooper unleashes a torrent of unlimited electrical lead right at the armored Duel. The blue prototype tried to outrun the maelstrom of onslaught coming his way but the Earth's gravity is making it harder for it to do so. The blue prototype immediately sustained some heavy damages as the assault shroud is gaining cracks around its armor. The electrical lead continues to hammer the Duel relentlessly, holes forming around its armor. Although the assault shroud did mitigate some of the damages inflicted on it, it still suffered some heavy injuries from the Burst Core.

The Burst Core now used up, Cooper grabs the defensive armament before catching up to Kira connecting his comms to the pilot. "Kira! The civies okay over there?"

"Yeah! They're safe. Thanks for the last minute save right there. I wouldn't imagine what would happen if we didn't make it."

"Well, it's a good thing I have some excellent timing in my throw right there, otherwise…well I think you already know the results of a failed executed throw would mean."

The two cut their conversation short as Murrue's face appears on both their video screens. "Kira! Jack! I need you both in the Archangel immediately! Can you fly your way back to the ship?"

Kira and Cooper tried to but the suffocating effects of Earth's gravity is too much for them to even attempt flying back to the legged ship.

"I don't think we can do it! We're too far in Earth's gravity hold! I'll have to manually land the Strike down to the ground!"

"Same on my end. Seems to me that landing on the ground on our own is the feasible thing to do."

Natarle's face immediately pops up in the other video screen, clearly not liking the idea of either of them attempting to do an atmospheric entry when it has not been tested. "Pilots Yamato and Cooper! The Strike hasn't been tested for atmospheric reentry! Sure, the specs say it's possible to perform such a feat but nobody has tested it yet! There's no telling if you'll survive the process! I don't know a whole lot about the inner workings of a ZAFT unit but I'm pretty sure landing it manually by yourself can lead to something dangerous!"

Before any of the machines can do anything, their units begin to sink further and further to the atmosphere, losing their intended course to Alaska as they head over to some unknown destination on Earth. The two made some quick adjustments to ease up on the heavy gravitational pull while the _Archangel_ continues to stay on their intended course.

" _Argh, dammit! It's no use! I can't get the Strike to meet up with the Archangel. Looks like I'll have to actually land this on the ground._ " He has the Strike pick up a large scrap of metal from a sunken ship as a makeshift heat shield, barreling his way to the Earth's atmosphere. He turns his attention to both officers on the video screen. "Listen, I know what I'm about to do is dangerous but we don't have much of a choice! Landing our machines is the only way to go! You'll have to get us at a landing spot." He then pitches in a joke in the transmission. "Heh, looks like I'll be the lucky guy to try this out. I'll even send a report to tell you how it went. I have a gut feeling this might actually work out."

Cooper snickers at the morbid joke. "You living a little in this type of situation Kira? Naw, you're not the same kid I used to know! Who the hell are you and what did you do to the real one?!"

Kira only snickers but Murrue is not amused at their antics in such a dire situation. Before she can place out another order to have them attempt another flight back to the _Archangel_ , Kira immediately rights himself on his free-falling trajectory, making some adjustments as he continues his descent to the planet.

"BT! Get Kira's coordinates and I'll meet him there on the landing point. You ready for this?"

" **Affirmative. Protocol 2: Uphold the Mission. Our mission is the rendezvous with Kira Yamato. Immediately pinpointing Pilot Yamato's coordinates while calculating our estimated descent point to Earth.** "

"You do that BT." He then turns to his love interest on the screen. "Murrue! I'm gonna be heading over to get the kid. Don't wait up for me because I'm about to head straight in."

The brunette captain, of course, protested at her love interest's actions. "What are you saying Cooper?! Do you know what you're even attempting to do!? Stop this at once and let us get you!"

"No can-do honey. I need to make sure the kid is okay when he lands on Earth. Besides, BT and I have been practicing this during simulations so we know what we're doing."

The woman just stared at her love interest with wide, horrified eyes. If he attempts what she thinks he is going to do, not only will his mobile suit burn during the descent but the heat of his cockpit will cook him alive! The heat will kill him!

"Please, Cooper, don't be so reckless to do this. You may have practiced it in simulations but this is a real situation! Let us try and get you to the _Archangel_. We can't take the risk of losing you." Her lips begin to tremble as images of him dying in this attempt flash in her mind. Small tears begin to well up in her eyes. "I can't take the risk of losing you."

The man's eyes soften behind his helmet at her vulnerable statement but despite her attempts in persuading him, he is set in his course. Nothing can change his mind about it. "I understand your fears but there's one thing you should know, by now, Murrue. You're not going to lose me. Not now, not ever. If you want a promise, that's my promise to you and I for sure as hell ain't gonna break it."

He pressed a few buttons on the armrests before turning back to Murrue. "Besides, we've done the math. Well…BT mostly but you get what I mean."

BT chimes in on the conversation, adding his two credits in to the _Archangel_ 's captain. " **As my pilot mentions, Captain Ramius, we've done the math. Trust me, the landing process we're about to partake isn't going to harm either of us. If what we are about to do is unsafe, then I would not attempt such an act and look for another alternative for the situation. After all, I must uphold Protocol Three which I vow to never lose another pilot ever again.** " BT diverts his attention to Cooper. " **Cooper, we must head down to Earth immediately. Pilot Yamato is already heading his way as we speak.** "

"That's my cue. Like I said, don't worry about either of us because we'll be dropping in the planet quite soon. So I'll see ya soon." Taking a deep breath, he gives her a two-finger salute. "BT you ready?"

" **Affirmative. Ready whenever you are.** "

"Punch it!"

With that, Cooper ended his connection to the _Archangel_ , as he and BT barrel their way into planet Earth. Up in the bridge, Admiral Halberton immediately takes control of the situation. "Crew! What's the status of the Strike and the CGUE?"

Romero gives him the report as he gives a visual on the two machines. "Sir, the Strike is nearing the atmosphere but we can still catch up if we increase the speed of the Archangel's engines but I don't think we can reach Pilot Cooper. He is barreling straight down to the atmosphere in terrifying speeds that trying to catch up to him is pointless! He's beyond our reach."

Frowning, he quickly gives out his new orders to the crew. "Divert our course from Alaska and go after Kira immediately! If Cooper and BT have practiced their atmospheric reentry landings during simulations and have complete faith in their abilities, then we'll have to completely trust them. Right now, rescuing the young lad is our main priority."

Arnold turns around, looking at the admiral incredulously. "With all due respect sir, if we divert our course now, we'll miss our descent point to Alaska HQ!"

Halberton, of course, stays his course. He is not going to sit back and watch those two pilots plummet to their deaths if he can help it. "Then what's the point in reaching Alaska without them? It'd be meaningless. We're not going to leave without them and I am not going to let them die on my watch!"

Deciding that arguing is not worth the time, Tolle and Arnold did as they are told, readjusting the _Archangel_ 's course as the gel-coated ship veered its direction from Alaska down to get the Strike back in the ship's safety.

* * *

It is night time around the desert dunes of Africa. All is calm and quiet with the howling winds making the only noise around the air. In the peaceful night are two individuals chilling in a military truck. These two individuals are wearing their Militia pilot uniforms differentiating in style along with helmets that make them look like some sort of futuristic soldier in a sci-fi summer film.

Said two pilots are looking up at the night sky, admiring the stars.

"You know, Droz, the night sky makes me want to unleash my inner poet. Makes me wanna grab a pen and paper and start writing some mean lines that will make those poets in the previous centuries look like a kid's artwork."

The individual named Droz sighs as he looks straight at his partner. "By writing mean lines, Davis, you mean writing lines that don't even make sense at all to the readers?"

"Hey, I take offense to that! I'll let you know I'm a good poet! Just you watch Droz, you'll be having your jaws drop in amazement."

"More like drop my jaws in utter incredulity at your badly-written poem."

The cheery mercenary pouts at his partner-in-crime. "Man you're so mean Droz…"

He shrugs unapologetically to his over enthusiastic partner. "Hey, I'm just stating facts so I don't know why you're whining about it. Besides, I'm not _that_ mean, unlike Uzumi Nara Attha's fiery tomboy of a daughter named Cagalli. She's on a whole 'nother level of meanness."

"Okay point taken. Speaking of which, how long are we gonna keep our little stories a secret?"

"For as long as we can hold out. I'm not so sure she and the rest of the crew are ready to know about us just yet."

"Alright but just so you know, she ain't gonna take no for an answer. She'll use whatever tricks to get us to spill our guts to her. Besides, our trusty Titan friends already spurred suspicious looks and utter curiosity from the rebels."

Droz just shrugs at his partner. If the blonde tomboy is going to be stubborn and hardheaded about making them spill their origins, then two can play that game. "Tough luck I guess. Besides, I already gave an order to DT to never divulge any information on the Frontier War no matter what."

The two went back to stargazing, watching the stars continue to twinkle their radiant light. Suddenly, their stargazing moment was interrupted when they spot a large comet descending straight down to the desert. The two former 6-4 pilots adjusted the binocular settings in their helmets, taking a closer look at the very familiar sight.

"Hey Droz, would you believe me if I said my gut feeling is telling me things are about to get interesting."

"Normally I'd say no, but in this case, I'm gonna agree with you. Still, how is it possible for a mobile suit to perform a Titanfall? From what I've seen so far in the Cosmic Era technology-wise, they don't have the necessary science and engineering to make a mech enter a planet's atmosphere like that of a Titan."

Davis shrugs at his shoulders. "Beats me Droz. We can probably take a closer look at the mobile suit once it lands to see if we can spot the familiar paintjob. Who knows? Maybe the pilot is somebody we're a bit familiar with."

"Agreed."

The two mercenaries carefully watched the mobile suit's descent to the desert dunes from the sky. When the machine stomped on the ground with a loud smash, a huge cloud of sand covered their visual. They wait patiently for the large sand cloud to dissipate but once they got a clear view on said mobile suit, their eyes immediately widen behind their helmets.

In a crouched position, the two spotted a ZAFT CGUE mobile suit painted in a brown and orange color scheme with the familiar Militia and Special Recon Squadron decals around the mobile suit's frame.

Although they worked with the pilot for quite a short time during the Battle of Typhon, they immediately know the person in the cockpit. "Huh, will you look at that Droz. The once thought dead Hero of Harmony made it in this universe with BT. Boy is Cooper gonna flip when he sees us along with hearing news of his promotion."

"You said it Davis. Things are about to get interesting alright. Let's head back to base. No doubt Cagalli is gonna grill us about what just took place. Plus, the good ole Desert Tiger and his crew will no doubt investigate the area. We don't want him to spot us immediately."

"Punch it Droz. We'll have to head back before our dear princess explodes on us."

The two mercenaries left the premises, already excited to get in touch with Cooper and possibly fight along with him in the upcoming battles ahead. Speaking of Cooper, the Militia pilot cracks his neck and knuckles, leaving the cockpit to stretch his legs after sitting for quite some time.

As he stretches, he takes a look around his surroundings. All he can see are endless desert dunes, sand moving along the wind as it blows over them in the night sky. Looking up to BT, he asks him where they are. "Hey BT, can you figure out where we are in the world?"

The trusty Vanguard Titan AI takes a scan around his surroundings before pulling up a digital map to his pilot. " **According to my scans, we are located in the Sahara Desert which belongs to the continent of Africa. To my knowledge, we are in the middle of ZAFT-controlled territory, with this part of the continent under the occupation of ZAFT Commander Andrew Waltfeld who is known by his moniker, 'The Desert Tiger'.** "

Cooper pinches the bridge of his nose, groaning at the aspect of landing right in the middle of enemy territory. "Ah great. Just what I need to hear. We not only land here in a wasteland, but we're right here in the middle of enemy territory. So much for a safe landing spot."

" **A positive mindset is required in this situation. We may be far from our intended destination but we must be thankful that we didn't land on a body of water or near an enemy base. Also, the Earth Forces will be suspicious of us if they find a ZAFT unit land near their base. They might consider us the enemy and attack us. We should consider ourselves lucky.** "

"I guess you're right. Regardless, we'll just have to do the same thing like the previous other times in space. Defend the _Archangel_ , get ourselves into Alaska, and see what they'll do with us from there. Speaking of the ship, how far are they before they meet up with us?"

BT looks up to the sky as he spots an orange flashing light descending to Earth from a distance. " **My current estimations give me a time of about twenty minutes before they land near our destination. The Strike, on the other hand, will land in about eighteen minutes.** "

"Fine by me. At least I don't have to wait an hour before they get here."

" **Do you wish to embark while we wait for their arrival?** "

"Nah, I'm good. If there's trouble around the corner, I'll hop in but not at the moment. I want to stretch my legs a bit and enjoy the natural landscape. My first time ever coming here to the Sahara. I've always seen it in TV but to see it in person is definitely something else."

" **Very well. I will keep a lookout for enemy hostiles around the area. I will notify you when I spot them.** "

"Good to hear. I'll take a few photos in my helmet and add that to my memories."

" **Pilot, taking photos that do not have any military significance is against the Militia protocol.** "

The man shrugs as he proceeds to take a couple photos of the barren wasteland known to humanity, much to BT's dismay. "Technically, the Militia aren't here in this world since, as far as I'm concerned, I'm the only one here. The only military factions here are the EA and ZAFT. Perhaps third-party rebel cells that want to have their turf back from ZAFT but you get what I mean. Besides, what the Militia won't know won't hurt them. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity for me so I'm gonna take every advantage of it. Wartime or not."

The two sat in their posts as they begin to wait for their ride, the _Archangel_ , to land near their spot. What Jack and BT do not know is that they are not the only ones from the Frontier War to be transported to the Cosmic Era.

As Davis mentions, things are about to get mighty interesting as they begin their journey on Earth to reach Alaska.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **That's it ladies and gentlemen. Now I introduced Davis and Droz here in this part of the show, as I promised to all of you. After all, those two ex 6-4 now Last Resort members are joining in the war, mostly helping out with the rebels free their homeland from Andrew Waltfeld also known as the Desert Tiger.**

 **For the Titans these two are going to be using, some of you said Droz is a Legion guy because he is in charge of heavy weaponry. I honestly do not know where you guys got that information from nor do I know much about this guy other than being the leader of the Last Resort but I will trust you guys on this one. Davis, on the other hand, I can see him being a Tone type of guy. At first I saw him as an Ion guy but then as I continue to look at him piloting a Tone Titan, I can see him wanting to unleash some of his "mad skillz" on the ZAFT forces.**

 **For the mobile suits, some of guys said both mercenaries can use the Daggers, namely the Duel Dagger and Buster Dagger. So as per request I will make sure they have those two machines though I will have to modify the helm unit to make sure they can fit in the data cores without recklessly damaging them. No, the helm unit will not change but the insertion slot will be modified to make sure their trusty Titan AIs are in there.**

 **Anyways, I am back in college, starting off the second semester with a bang so sorry for the delay. I will be uploading chapters but not as frequently as I did during Christmas break.**

 **Regardless, here is a chapter for your viewing enjoyment. Thanks and see ya soon.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

 **A/N:**

 **We are back with another show of** _ **Mobile Suit Titan SEED**_ **! Last time we met, we saw the crew with the Eighth Fleet fighting against ZAFT forces before Halberton has the** _ **Archangel**_ **descend down to Earth. Most specifically, in a ZAFT-occupied Africa. Cooper and Kira decide to land their mobile suits manually while the** _ **Archangel**_ **chases after them, throwing off their course to Alaska. Meanwhile, our two well known and loved mercenaries, Davis and Droz who are former 6-4 members, are in Africa helping out the Desert Dawn, a rebel group, free their home from Andrew Waltfeld, aka the "Desert Tiger".**

 **Recap over, let me just say, ho boy, you guys are really interested to see how this pans out. Especially with the Last Resort Members now in the mix. Not to mention, Murrue, who we find is definitely developing romantic sentiments for Jack, will definitely yell at the Militia pilot for pulling a stunt, like a Titanfall, on her as they descend to the planet.**

 **Not to mention, she might yell at him some more once she figures out her love interest briefly worked with the…eccentric Last Resort members.**

 **As you guys mentioned in the review section, things are definitely going to be interesting. Now one of you fellow viewers asked me when will Jack, BT, Davis, Droz, and their respective Titan AIs reveal their existence to the residents of the Cosmic Era. Fear not, fellow readers, for the revelations will unravel.**

 **Just hang tight ladies and gentlemen.**

 **I am also going to have another surprise in this matter but you will find out soon enough. Time to get this show on the road.**

 **Legend:**

 **Hello – BT-7274 Speaking**

 _ **Hello**_ **– Thoughts, or flashback.**

 **Hello** **– Radio communications, news media outlet.**

 **Disclaimer: Titanfall belongs to Respawn Entertainment while Gundam SEED belongs to Sunrise and directed by Mitsudo Fukuda.**

* * *

 _Jack Davidson Cooper's Log Book 3.3_

 _Africa. When I think of Africa, I think of an IMC-controlled Africa with each country obtaining thriving economies and better standards of living than their deplorable state in the previous centuries._

 _When I think of the continent located in IMC-controlled Earth, I never think of a ZAFT-controlled Africa where the Desert Tiger, aka Andrew Waltfeld, is controlling it with his unit. Or that's what my trusty friend, BT, told me._

 _Then again, this is a different timeline I'm in. Different era, different war, different factions. So much for choosing a ZAFT territory as our landing spot._

 _But what can you do right? Still, I have to look at this in a different light. The setting is now in our favor. This is where BT and I truly shine. Sure, I was okay at kicking ass in space but space battles ain't the same as planetary ones. When it comes to ground warfare, this where you see the species known as Pilots thrive in their natural habitat. A pilot and his Titan, along with the rifleman to a certain extent, are the masters of ground warfare._

 _Dare I say, we've gotten ground warfare tactics down to science. You can thank the simulations and training regiments for that._

 _Still, I have to be careful. Africa is the Desert Tiger's turf. He must be one hell of a pilot to gain such a nickname for himself. But I'll have to wait and see what comes out of this one. Knowing my luck with meeting war celebs, with the Apex Predators being one example, I might end up fighting him in the near future._

 _Who knows? Only time will tell I guess._

 _Jack Cooper, Pilot of BT-7274, 41st Militia Rifle Battalion._

* * *

Cooper and BT waited for the _Archangel_ and the Strike to land on Earth. After taking some photos of the desert thanks to the camera feature in his helmet, the one his late mentor Captain Lastimosa gave him on Typhon, the Militia duo just stared aimlessly at the two glowing dots on the night sky entering the Earth's surface.

"BT, how long till they land here on Earth?"

" **The Strike is about to land soon. The Archangel will take a bit of time before meeting us at our exact location.** "

Soon enough, the Strike landed on the ground, dropping whatever is left of the metallic shield on the sand. The G-Unit took a few steps on the desert sand before taking a knee. The mech stayed in that position for a few minutes before deactivating its Phase Shift Armor, returning it back to its gray state.

Upon taking a closer examination of the machine, the Strike does not seem to be in bad shape. The only "damage" you can say are the few melted portions of the Phase Shift Armor along with the shield and beam rifle but everything else is in working condition.

Cooper looked to BT, who is scanning the mobile suit with his blue monoeye optic. "What's the matter BT? The Strike doesn't seem to be in bad condition when it landed."

BT retracted the scanning beam before turning to Cooper. " **Correct, the Strike is not in critical condition but the pilot is. Kira Yamato is suffering a fever when he landed the Strike on the sand. A severe case of heatstroke I might add.** "

Cooper frowns in concern for the young pilot but he is not so surprised about the outcome from his daring stunt. If it were a Natural piloting the Strike, he or she would have been fried human barbeque in the cockpit and most likely die when landing on the surface.

Then again, this is Kira Yamato we are talking about. He is a Coordinator which means his altered genes played a factor in preventing the kid getting completely fried during the landing process from space to Earth.

" _Regardless if he was a Coordinator or not, Kira should count himself lucky to not get cooked in the cockpit._ " He looks over to BT who is scanning the area around the desert to make sure no hostiles ambush them." _The one advantage Titan armor has over Phase Shift Armor. You don't get cooked alive when you perform a Titanfall in a planet's atmosphere._ "

"BT, what's the ETA of the _Archangel_? Sooner we get the kid in the medbay, the better. Last thing I need is for him to die because of the ship's freakin' tardy landing."

The Vanguard Titan-turned-mobile suit did not say anything as the _Archangel_ 's engines roared in the air, making its way down to the desert sand where the two machines are located. If BT were a human being, he would be gaining a smug grin on his face. " **I believe that answers your question, Cooper.** "

Cooper frowned at his partner, muttering about "smartass Titans" and "cheeky AIs" along with other sarcastic remarks. BT, as usual, picked up his partner's sarcasm from his quiet ramblings. " **I detect sarcasm, Cooper.** "

The Militia pilot sighs before looking up to his trusty friend. "Whatever. Just get me back in so I can contact the _Archangel_ to get Reina to assist me in helping the Strike back to the ship's hangar."

BT knelt down to pick up his pilot while opening the cockpit. Placing him in, the cockpit doors closed. The Militia duo watched the white warship gently and smoothly sail its way through the African night sky, reaching up to where the two machines are located. The vessel slowed down as it nears their location. Once it was close enough, it slowly and gently, turned off its thrusters, allowing the ship to lower itself gently on the ground.

WHOOSH

WHOOSH

WHOOSH

CRUNCH

Once the ship is on the ground, Jack immediately contacts the _Archangel_ from his spot. "Archangel, this is me, Jack Cooper."

He can hear cheers of relief coming from the _Archangel_ 's crew through his comms. Miriallia's face appears on the screen with a relieved smile on her face. "Thank goodness you're safe, Pilot Cooper. We feared the worst when we saw you and BT plummeting down to the Earth's surface without any stop in your descent. For a moment, we thought you died during your atmospheric reentry phase."

"I appreciate the nice gesture but what did I tell ya back in space? You guys aren't gonna lose me now or ever. It ain't gonna happen while I'm still kicking."

The brunette teen giggles before returning back to business. "While I'm sure the crew is ecstatic to hear you alive, what about Kira's status? We've been trying to contact him but he wasn't responding to us when we tried to get near him with the _Archangel_."

Cooper takes a sigh before giving her the bad news. "Well that's the reason why I'm calling you up. I need Reina suited up and here with her machine immediately. Kira's suffering some severe heatstroke thanks to his atmospheric reentry landing. If help doesn't get here, he'll be a goner."

Gasping at the dire state her friend is in, she immediately nods to him. "No problem Cooper. Help will be on the way. Miriallia out."

Disconnecting the line, Cooper waited for at least three to five minutes before the _Archangel_ 's catapult opens up. Coming out of the catapult is Reina's GAT-01A1 Dagger equipped with nothing on her mobile suit. She soared a bit in the air before landing down on the ground with a loud thud.

When Reina is on the other side of the deactivated G-Unit, the two immediately hoisted it back to its feet. Carefully as to not shake the suffering pilot inside, they ignited the thrusters in their mobile suits to lift themselves up to the catapult. The pilot duo guided the Strike back to its recharging station before placing their respective machines back to their recharging stations.

Getting out of their cockpit, Reina and Cooper immediately dash to the Strike, with the latter typing in the code on the keypad. The hatch opens up, a blast of arid hot steamy air hits him like a boxer delivering the knockout punch to his opponent.

The Militia pilot raises his arms for a moment, stunned at how hot the inside of the cockpit was before waving the hot blast stream with his hands. "Goddam it's hot in there and not in a good way! The entire cockpit is like an oven or a blast furnace!"

"Cooper, enough with your antics and get him out of there. You said he was suffering from heatstroke and in need of medical assistance." Reina reprimands him.

Sheepishly chuckling at his fellow pilot, he carefully unbuckles the seatbelt strapping the young man to the chair before grabbing his arm. Gently yanking the teen from the smoldering hot mobile suit which results in Kira moaning in pain a bit, Cooper hoists his on his shoulder while the former G-Unit mentor does the same. The two ran from the hangar to the medbay where the _Archangel_ 's doctor, Doctor Masek, is doing some medical business on the computer.

Hearing the footsteps in the room, the doctor swivels his chair, facing the pilots laying the Strike's pilot on the cot while taking off his pilot suit.

"Ah, hello you two. I suppose this is Kira Yamato that Captain Ramius is talking about, yes?" asks Doctor Masek.

"Yes sir. Dealing with some heatstroke if him sweating up a storm is anything to go by." answered Cooper.

"I see. For now, place him on the cot and bring a cool towel to lower his body temperature a bit. Connect the IV to his arm and I'll handle the rest."

"I'll get the towel. Can you place the lad on the cot?" asks Reina.

"Sure thing." The former G-Unit mentor lets his arm go, heading straight to the cabinet where she can get a towel while the Militia pilot goes to the cot where he lays the Strike pilot on it. Kira moaned when his back made contact with the cot, trying to get up only for the older pilot to push him gently on the bed.

"Easy there, son. No need to get fussy. You need some rest because your body temperature is up the charts."

"Cooper…"

"Shh…for now, take it easy and sleep. You've definitely earned it."

The young man closes his eyes, letting sleep take over him. He looks up to see Reina grab a nice cool towel before placing it on his forehead. The young man moans a bit at the contact of the towel before Doctor Masek arrives on the scene.

"Thank you for the help, you two. I'll take it from here."

Reina got up before looking right at her fellow pilot. "I'll be in the hangar to work on my mobile suit to adjust for atmospheric fighting. If you need me, you know where to get me."

"Thanks Reina. I'll keep that in mind."

Leaving the medbay, Cooper looked at Kira for a moment before getting up to leave straight to the shower. Before he left, Doctor Masek seems to be quite intrigued at how Cooper is up and running, not having any sort of fever or heatstroke when he entered in the atmosphere while the young pilot on the cot is.

"Mind my curiosity if you will, but there's something that…intrigues me about you."

He raises an eyebrow at the doctor. He is curious about him? He of all people is what got the doctor curious? To be quite honest, he is quite creeped out by his curious tone. Like a scientist examining a lab rat and see what new experiments he can inflict on the critter. Regardless of the phrase, he allows him to shoot his question. "Sure. I don't mind. Go ahead."

"Sate my curiosity if you will. How is it possible that you are not suffering a fever like Mr. Yamato here is? I'm not a mobile suit engineer by any chance but shouldn't your machine's cockpit overheat as you enter in the atmosphere with your mobile suit?"

Ah. So that what got the doctor curious. Understandable reaction for somebody who has little knowledge in mobile suit engineering and mechanics. An even understandable reaction for somebody with zero knowledge on Titan mechanics and functionality. Best give out half the truth, or even partial parts for that matter, to the doctor.

"Let's just say, I modified my mobile suit to make sure the heat doesn't cook the cockpit when I do atmospheric reentry."

With that, he left the medbay to get his well-deserved shower. While Cooper went to the shower stalls in the barracks section of the ship, Murrue, Mu and Duane are gathered in her office looking over at the current situation they are in. Duane looks at the map to get a sense of where they are at the moment.

"This is Alaska…" He trails his finger from the blue highlighted shape of Alaska to the continent of Africa. "And this is our present location here in Africa."

The Hawk of Endymion sighs at the predicament they are in. "Ah shit. Those two couldn't have picked a way worse spot in the world than this part. We're smack in the middle of ZAFT territory."

Murrue sighs as she takes a sip of her coffee. "We don't have much of a choice really. We couldn't afford to get separate from both BT and the Strike. After all, Admiral Halberton did say heading to Alaska without them would be a pointless endeavor."

Mu takes a sigh. "I guess you're right. So who's the guy in charge of this part of the world anyway?"

Halberton takes a sip of his coffee before looking at the blonde pilot. "Commander Andrew Waltfeld."

The two looked at the Admiral making sure the older man did not scare them with such information. "You sure about that sir? Are you sure it's _the_ Andrew Waltfeld, aka 'The Desert Tiger' himself who's in charge of this place?" asks Mu.

Much to their dismay, he nods at them. "I'm not kidding, you two. Africa is under the Desert Tiger's domain. During the second stage of Operation: UROBOROS, he and his forces stormed the EA's defenses around Africa, taking out a good majority of our land forces with ease." He places his mug down on the desk. "The land forces wanted to go for an operation to get Africa back in their hands but we overruled it since we have other matters to deal with."

"Regardless of the circumstances, our mission is to head straight to Alaska and help out with whatever operations they want us to participate. If we have to fight Commander Waltfeld and his forces, then so be it." says Murrue.

"Still, we have to be careful about Commander Waltfeld, Captain Ramius. The man didn't get his nickname just for being a brilliant tactician in the African front. He's an excellent mobile suit pilot, his skills being an equivalent to Rau Le Creuset's."

Mu snorts in amusement while Murrue's eyes grimaces a bit. After being chased by that masked ace pilot, she did not want to deal with a ground version of the same bastard. "An atmospheric version of the masked bastard, eh? Looks like I'll have to see that when we start fighting on his turf." muses Mu.

"Agreed." She then looks to her mentor and former leader of the Eighth Fleet. "Sir, I just want to give you permission to command the ship. If that's what you'd like."

To their surprise, the admiral rejects the notion. "I appreciate the gesture but no thank you."

Before Murrue can object, Duane tells her why he is not going to command the ship. "I know I'm an admiral which means I have seniority over everybody aboard and I did indeed propose the idea of having the _Archangel_ created but you, Murrue, have been aiding her in her maiden voyage. Not me."

"True sir but…"

"Besides, we don't have time to reorganize the command structure in this time of war. Battles wait for no man and we have to keep the way things are running. And so far, you've been doing an excellent job despite what you may say for self-evaluation."

Murrue was quite surprised to hear this coming from her mentor. Never in her years under his wing would she hear him relinquish control of the ship to her. If it were any other admiral within the Earth Alliance, he or she would probably take over the ship and reorganize the command structure to his or her liking without giving anybody aboard the vessel a say in the matter.

Truly, she is quite lucky to have him aboard this ship and will have to thank Cooper for having him stay here. Of course, after she is done yelling at him for the stunt he pulled on her back in space. "W-why thank you sir. I won't let you down.'

"If it'll make you calm, I can take the position of a senior adviser, giving you suggestions on what to do in some situations before making a decision."

She does not mind in the slightest. "That would be more appreciated."

"And if anybody in the Earth Alliance doesn't agree with the command structure of the ship, then they'll have to go through me before yelling at any one of you."

They smiled in appreciation before Mu decides to go check up on Kira in the medbay to see how he is doing. "Well, I'm heading over to the medbay to see the youngster's status. Hopefully, it wouldn't be too bad." He then looks to Murrue with a grin on his face. "Before I forget, I just want you to say something you."

"What would that be?" asks a confused Murrue.

"Take my advice to heart, get some sleep. A captain shouldn't be too exhausted and worn down like that. Besides, what would dear Jacky think when he hears his beloved girlfriend fussing over such stressful matters and wind up getting sick in the process?"

The brunette captain glares at him, a heavy blush painted on her face. Her mind immediately went into some…adventurous, or rather steamy, fantasies of the two of them sleeping together. Lying down together on the bed in such intimate positions, cuddling together and wrapping themselves in each other's arms as they sleep. Perhaps, sharing a smooch or two before things get rather _hot_.

Such fantasies only made her blush deeper yet it did not stop her from conjuring such dirty images of them having a nice, grand time in bed. Damn, she already knew her underwear is ruined thanks to such fantasies implanted in her brain by the cheeky blonde pilot.

Seeing her like this made the two men chuckle in amusement.

If Admiral Halberton were to be honest, Cooper is a fitting match for Murrue if the two ever wanted to be a couple. From what he observed in the _Archangel_ making their descent to Earth from space, his student showed a very great deal of concern towards this particular pilot. Not that she never showed any concern for the others under her command since she does but this type of concern is different. It is more personal, intimate if he dares say so, matching that of a lover worrying for her significant other than a military captain showing worry to her subordinates.

To be honest, he is quite happy for her. When he got wind of the news concerning about her boyfriend's death in the early stages of the war, his heart broke in two to see her in grief and sorrow. Despite having moved on to focus more on surviving the war, deep down he knows she is mourning quietly for her lost love.

Then all of a sudden, Cooper's appearance in her life made the storms of sorrow and despair wither. Albeit, not immediately from the beginning, he can tell her grief is withering away to the point where she begins to take a romantic interest in the pilot aboard the _Archangel_ and move on.

"Oh ho what's this? Is Captain Ramius possibly be thinking of naughty, dirty thoughts about our resident mercenary sleeping with her, only it's a different kind of sleeping?"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" yells a blushing yet indignant Murrue. She continuously glares at the grinning Hawk of Endymion.

Mu continues on with the tease train, wanting to make her squirm in her seat. "Oh my goodness, you actually are! You may be in denial but your blushing face tells me a different note. Speaking of sleeping, maybe you can ask him to hop in bed with you now that we're not in a crazy situation at the moment."

She glares at him all the more, though she is somewhat considering taking up his offer in asking Cooper if he wants to be with her for the night. Not in a sexual sense but in a way to get closer to him without engaging in some sexy time.

Though getting some sexy time with the handsome pilot is a bonus she will gladly take without any questions.

For now though, she will settle for glaring right at the cheeky blonde pilot. "Pervert. Aren't you supposed to be checking up on somebody?"

The man brings his fist down on his hand in realization. "Oh shoot you're right. Gotta go. And remember, Captain Ramius, take my advice to heart."

He left before the gorgeous captain can say anything. She takes a sigh before looking at her mentor with apologetic eyes. "Sorry about that, Admiral Halberton. He tends to be like that."

The man chuckles in amusement. "Oh fear not, my dear. It's quite entertaining to see the byplay between the two of you. Refreshing if I have to say so myself. But he's quite right about you needing some rest. You've been resting far less than you're supposed to and I can see some bags forming under your eyes. I know it's wartime meaning sleep is a luxury a soldier can't afford but with things settling down, you should take advantage to get some shuteye."

"Right. I'll take his advice to heart sir." She takes a sip of her coffee before placing her mug down on the table. "Still, I can't thank you enough for allowing me to command the ship."

He nonchalantly waves it off. "Oh stop it. If anything, I should be the one thanking you for making sure the Archangel and the Strike are safe and in one piece. Besides, look at this as a symbol of me passing the torch to you for proving yourself to be an excellent leader. Surely, my teachings have stuck with you ever since you graduated from the military academy."

She smiles brightly at him. "Thank you sir. I won't let you down."

The two continue to discuss other business matters before the admiral bids the captain goodnight. Down in the infirmary, Mu along with Jack and Kira's friends gathered around Doctor Masek who is giving them an update on his health.

"Mr. Yamato is fine. The young lad's fever isn't infectious which is good, and his internal organs aren't in a critical state."

Everybody breathes a sigh of relief as they see him peacefully sleeping on the cot.

"Thank God, he's okay. I thought for a moment we would've lost him." says Cooper.

"Indeed. Right now, the only treatment we can do is to give him lots of liquids to drink to cool his body temperature and bring it down to its normal state." He then looks to the Strike pilot. "That along with some rest and he'll be in good condition."

Looking at the clock, the four teenagers knew it is time for their shifts to begin. They left the infirmary while the two pilots decided to get some dinner before heading over to the hangar to get adjust some programs within their respective units.

* * *

Leaving Earth for a moment, Athrun is in the pilot room of the _Vesalius_ , looking at the hangar with his mobile suit being repaired along with Nicol's. One may think he is worried about the state of his machine since it did get some damages during his fight with the unknown mobile suit but his mind is far off from that.

His mind, rather, is thinking about Kira, worrying about his state as he witnesses him, the custom CGUE, and the legged ship head down to Earth. Flashes of his childhood friend clutching a huge metallic scrap piece of metal as a makeshift heatshield as he descends to Earth is still fresh in his mind.

" _Kira. I hope you're okay and not in danger._ "

Hearing the doors open, he turns around to see Nicol approaching him. "Oh Nicol. What's the matter?"

"Got some great news Athrun. We were notified a few moments ago that Dearka and Yzak landed on Earth safe and sound. They'll be remaining in Gibraltar for a while but we haven't gotten word when they'll be heading back to space."

Athrun nods absentmindedly. "Good. At least they're safe and sound." He then looks on the ground making the green-haired pilot wonder what has gotten into him.

"Um Athrun? Is everything okay?"

Again, he nods in an absentminded manner. "What about Yzak's injury? Is it still bothering him in the slightest?"

Oh so that was what got him worried. "Ah I see. Well I don't think the injury stopped him from heading straight into the battlefield. Nothing short of Armageddon or a supernova will stop him from heading first into the fight. You know how he gets. Even then, I still think it won't be enough to stop him from taking part in the war effort."

The navy-haired pilot chuckles a bit. "You're right, Nicol. Still stubborn as usual."

"I can already imagine him going around Gibraltar demanding and annoying the mechanics to speed up the repair process so he can take down the Strike and the custom CGUE before setting his sights on the legged ship."

The two pilots laughed at the imagination of the silver-haired hothead running around the base doing just that.

* * *

In the ZAFT base of Gibraltar, Yzak was just doing that. He went on a rant about the Duel needing some repairs and resupply before sneezing in the middle of his ramble. Dearka just snorts at him in an amused manner.

"Looks like somebody's chatting about you. It could either be a girl who's head over heels for you or just Athrun and Nicol taking potshots at you while they're up in space. Banking more on our two teammates than the former."

The silver-haired pilot glares at his teammate for making a joke at his expense. "Argh, can it Dearka. I'm not in the mood for jokes!"

He holds his hands up in defense. "I'm just saying man. You really need to know the definition of chill out because if you keep up being all angry and explosive, your silver, already borderline white hair will get dull in no time. No wonder why some of the chicks are deathly afraid getting hooked up with you."

"JUST SHUT UP DEARKA!"

* * *

"Yeah, definite seeing it happen. Regardless, do you think things will be okay?"

This threw the navy-haired soldier off the loop. "What do you mean by that, Nicol?"

"In the end, we failed our mission to capture or destroy the Strike and the CGUE along with the legged ship. Commander Le Creuset has been ordered back because of this failure, right?"

"Well true but I guess the Supreme Council can overlook it due to circumstances we've been given. I mean, the entire Eighth Fleet blocked off our route as much as they can to prevent us from reaching the enemy ship and their mobile suits. They have to understand it from his perspective at least."

Athrun looks down for a moment, thinking of Kira before Nicol got up to his face. "Is everything okay, Athrun? You seem to be worried about something."

He was startled for a minute before regaining his composure. "Ah, yeah, I'm fine. In any case, I don't think we need to stress it too much. Besides, I understand the return involves some upcoming planning which means we might get some time off before heading back to the frontlines."

This made the young man light up in excitement. "That's right! It's been a while since I've seen mother and father and I'm pretty sure they're worried sick about me. I have to go check on the Blitz. See you in a bit."

Nicol left the pilot room, heading straight down to the hangar. Once he left, he turns his attention back to the hangar, leaving himself with his own thoughts to reflect on.

* * *

A few days has passed since their descent on African soil and so far, nobody attacked them. Not a single shot targeted at them whatsoever. Of course, they maintained vigilant eye in case ZAFT or any terrorist cells decide to ambush them on the spot. Still, this is a good sign for the weary _Archangel_ crew but they know such peace and quiet will not last for a long time. It never lasts in a time of war.

Especially when you consider their current and rather precarious position which is right smack dab in the middle of the enemy's backyard.

Still, they will take advantage of some peace and quiet to rest up and reenergize themselves. In the _Archangel_ 's medbay, Kira's eyes slowly opened up. His vision blurry before reorienting itself back to normal. To his surprise, he spots his green and yellow mechanical companion, Birdy, staring at him with a tilt to its head.

"Birdy? What are you doing?"

The mechanical bird just croons at the young Coordinator. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Good evening sleeping beauty. Had a nice rest there?"

Turning his head around, he sees Cooper walking in the infirmary wearing a red T-shirt with a black logo of the Militia insignia, black baggy sweatpants and a pair of sneakers. The young Coordinator spots in his hands is a tray with some food and water for him to drink. Placing the tray on the table, he grabs a chair before sitting next to him.

"Cooper? W-what just happened?"

The man chuckles a bit before looking right at the teen. "Well kid, let me give you a bit of a recap. Both of us were caught up in Earth's gravitational pull. We tried to get back to the Archangel but we're too far caught up in the planet's gravity. So the two of us decided to land our machines down on the ground. I got down to the planet first before you did. When you and the Strike arrived, you passed out due to heatstroke."

Kira winces a bit to hear him passing out from heatstroke. "I see. So I take it, we made it to Earth?"

Cooper makes a noise of agreement to the young lad. "We sure did. The African desert to be more specific."

"I see." Kira yanks the IV from his arm before looking at the meal.

"You hungry youngster?"

"Yeah. Haven't gotten some a good meal to eat since I was stuck drinking some water. Thanks for bringing it to me."

"Don't mention it. You need the rest so I made sure Natarle and Murrue aren't going to bother you."

The Militia pilot hands him the tray which the young lad takes before he begins to eat. As he continues to eat, he then asks Cooper what he missed during his time recuperating from his illness.

"Did I miss anything while I was out?"

"Not really. A few days passed without a single shot being fired at us which is kinda odd considering we're out in the freaking open right smack in the middle of ZAFT territory."

Kira stopped eating for a moment to look at him straight in face. "You're kidding right?"

"Does it look like I'm kidding son?"

The brunette teenager groans in disappointment before he resumes to eat. "Man, we surely have bad luck in picking the best place for a landing point."

"Look on the bright side, Kira. At least you have some experienced pilots on the _Archangel_ ready to beat back the enemy before they can land a single bullet on the ship. Besides, I have a couple tricks I haven't been able to use that I can probably show now that we're doing some ground warfare for a change."

This catches Kira's attention. What sort of tricks could he be hiding from them that he can't display in space? "Tricks you say? Care to tell me what they are?"

Much to his disappointment, Cooper wags his finger right at the teen. "Ah, ah, ah, no can do my dear boy. You have to remember, Kira, a magician never reveals his tricks. What's the fun in spoiling it all for you guys? I'd rather have you guys drop your jaws in awe and amazement to make the show more interesting."

He sweatdrops at the "show" part of his comment. "You consider a battle, a freaking show?"

The Militia pilot shrugs his shoulders at the teen. "Eh, that's how I view things."

Shaking his head while sighing, not wanting to ask him why he views a battle as a show, Kira takes a big gulp of his water before placing the mug on the tray. "Once again, thanks for the food, Cooper."

"No biggie kid. I'll take the tray back to the mess hall. If you need anything, just find me in the hangar because I have to do something for both Jane and Mu. More so with finishing touches for their units."

Kira blinks at this tidbit of information. So far, he does not know much about this Jane person other than perhaps an additional crew member but Mu asking him to do some tweaks and kinks for his unit is indeed interesting. "Something to do for Lieutenant La Flaga? What could it be?"

"It's about outfitting their units, the Skygrasper, with Arc rounds, which is electric-based bullets instead of the usual normal lead bullets used by both GINNs and CGUEs."

The Strike pilot is quite in awe about hearing such advanced weaponry. Sure, beams are considered to be quite deadly in their own right and are considered to be advance for their time but weapons utilizing electricity? Man, talk about advanced.

"Wow. Is that the reason why you've been able to beat the other Gundams that were trying to chase after us?"

"Correct. While beam weapons can definitely do some damage against Phase Shift Armor, electric weapons can easily negate the armor's shielding in a quick manner since the armor system is coated in electricity which mitigates the damage done by enemy fire."

"Huh, that's interesting. Still, why's Mu and Jane asking you to outfit his Skygrasper with some Arc weapons?"

"Well…here's how the story goes…"

* * *

[FLASHBACK]

 _After finishing their dinner, the two pilots went straight to the hangar. As they are approach the lower section of the Archangel, Mu asked him about his request for the Arc weapons._

" _Hey Cooper. Remember back in space when I asked you about outfitting my unit with some Arc rounds?"_

 _Not knowing what he was talking about until his mind begins to replay the memory of him dishing out some major damage to the Buster with the Burst Core activated. "Yeah, what about it?"_

" _I along with Jane are gonna be needing that to conserve some power for this unit. Hit too many beams and the next thing you know, my batter life goes from one hundred percent down to seventy percent in a jippy."_

 _He ponders about it before shrugging his shoulders to the ace mobile armor pilot. "Sure. I don't see any harm in it."_

" _Wonderful. Let's get started. The sooner we get this done, the better."_

[END OF FLASHBACK]

* * *

"Oh. So that's what you've been up to throughout this entire time."

"Yeah. Speaking of electric weapons, I gotta finish up the final adjustments before Mu and Jane fly the Skygrapsers."

"That's fine Cooper. I'm not gonna keep you for long because that's more important. I'll be heading back to my room."

Leaving the infirmary, Jack went in the hangar to finish up the last touches to the Arc weapons. While making his way to the lower section of the ship, Murdoch and Mu talking to each other about the Skygrasper.

"Yesterday, I looked through the user manual for this baby and I have to admit, I'm likin' this new unit. Looks cool but can also kick some ass on the field. Oh yeah, she and I will be having a blast."

Murdoch rubs his chin while looking at the atmospheric aerial unit. "I guess you're saying that because Coop outfitted yours and Lieutenant Houston's with funky weapons firing fancy electrical rounds or whatever they're called."

"They're called Arc rounds, dear Murdoch."

The grizzled mechanic rolls his eyes. "Whatever. I don't see why there needs to be a name for weapons that shoot static rounds instead of energy rounds."

"But I was quite surprised to read in the manual that this unit is capable of attaching Striker Packs to itself. But seriously? Am I gonna be some sort of mail delivery service to the kid if he got the wrong package equipped on the mobile suit?"

This made Murdoch laugh at the blonde pilot. The great Hawk of Endymion reduced down to a mere delivery service boy. Man talk about a serious demotion right there. "With your excellent piloting capabilities, Lieutenant, er I mean Lieutenant Commander La Flaga, you'll be able to deliver it anywhere and everywhere without fail. Am I right?"

The man just frowns at the mechanic who just shrugs at him. "Eh, quit complaining tough guy. If the manual says the Skygrasper is meant to carry Striker Packs and deliver it to the Strike, then deal with it. I didn't come up with the design. The head honchos in Morgenroete did. Take your complaints to them if you hate being called a mail service aircraft."

He takes a sigh before approaching the jet fighter. "Not that I'm complaining but I'm grateful for the new promotion Admiral Halberton gave us. Though seriously, what good will it do in this type of situation? With the new raise I have, what am I gonna spend my money on? Spare parts?"

The chief mechanic just grunts at the ace pilot. "Don't ask me, son 'cuz that's your issue. Still, what's even more surprising are the kids already appointed to field operations right off the bat. Not to mention, our youngster of a pilot, Kira, got promoted to ensign." He adjusts the tethers a bit before looking back at the mobile armor ace pilot. "Well I guess I shouldn't be so surprised since he's the only one capable of making the Strike move."

"I hear you Murdoch. The kids are already promoted to crewman second-class but man are they growing up too fast these days. I guess this is how parents feel when they see their kids becoming adults."

"Speak for yourself. As a parent, I have two grown boys who are running their own successful companies when they graduated from college. Married with kids of their own, my wife and I have never been so damn proud of them. Same can be said for those kids. They'll be fine soldiers before you know it. By the way, how's Kira doing with that fever of his?"

"Glad you asked because he's up and running."

The two looked over to see Cooper approaching them with water bottle in one hand and his helmet in the other. "Sup guys. How's it chillin'?"

Mu shrugs before giving Cooper a high-five. "Eh, the usual Coop. Anyways, did you say Kira's already well?"

"Mhm. Just checked him a while ago in the infirmary. Wasn't sweatin' up a storm like before and his health seems to be back to normal. He'll be back to piloting the Strike in no time."

The two breathed a sigh of relief. "Well that's good news. Still, that kids amazes me. Nah, that ain't the right word. Impressed is more like it. I don't know which one I should be impressed with. His resilience or being the only civie capable of making the Strike move?" He then looks to Murdoch with a questioning look. "Speaking of which, why did he refer to the Strike as a Gundam in the first place?"

"The acronym, GUNDAM, appears on the activation screen. GUNDAM is just an abbreviation for General Unilateral Neuro-link Dispersive Autonomic Maneuver synthesis system. Take the first letter of each word and there you go. The military just simply refers to them as 'G' since it's easier to remember than saying the whole thing." says Murdoch.

The two were quite intrigued to hear such a piece of information but they went back to business. "Say, Cooper, you were about to get the finishing touches done, yeah?"

"Oh yeah. Thanks for reminding me, Mu. Now let's see if we can get these bad boys done." He peruses through his helmet's HUD before pulling up the blueprint he and the team used yesterday. "Alright let's finish this little project up before we hit the battle."

Cooper, Murdoch along with a small team of mechanics around the hangar mulled around the Skygraspers to finish up the final touching details for the Arc rounds. It took them a half hour to an hour, possibly going around two hours to upgrade the Skygrasper weapons and the programs linking to them. Once the adjustments have been made, Cooper explained to Mu and Jane, who by the way arrived, about activating the Arc rounds and some of the benefits of these projectiles compared to beam weaponry.

"So you're telling me, these bad boys will be helping us with the machine's energy efficiency?" asks Jane.

"Mhm. From what I've noticed during my fight with the ZAFT-possessed G-Units, beam weapons tend to drain a suit's power levels hence why the pilots don't spam the trigger as much. Arc rounds, on the other hand, make for a very good compliment for either mobile suit or armor since it doesn't drain the battery life in a drastic manner. It'll give your units some more operating time while maintaining some nice damage when engaging a target. Also, since we're in the atmosphere, specifically the desert, beam weapons wouldn't be that great considering the heat makes it harder for the beams to travel compared to space."

"And from what Cooper told me, we can take on the four mobile suits ZAFT since these Arc rounds can negate and damage the Phase Shift armor. The thing's apparently powered with electricity which prevents the suit from taking damage." added Mu.

The two blonde pilots are really eager to try out the Arc rounds outfitted on their units. And what better way to do an experiment than on those unlucky ZAFT bastards who wanted to take the _Archangel_ and her crew on?

After he was done, he went up to the pilot room to place his helmet in the locker along with his other pilot gear. Leaving the pilot room, he decides to get something to eat until he saw Murrue. The brunette captain, seemingly as though she can sense his presence, turns around to see her love interest staring at her.

Cooper sheepishly runs a hand through his hair trying to figure out a way to make this awkward situation not awkward at all. "Er…um…yo?"

Well, fuck. So much for making it not awkward.

The woman faintly blushes before giving a wave to him. "Hello to you too Cooper. Fancy meeting you here."

"Same goes for me Murrue. Say, I'm just about to get something to eat and seeing you here, makes me wonder if you want to join with me?"

Seeing no harm in having some dinner with the mercenary she is having romantic feelings, she agrees to his request. "Well since you asked, it'd be rude of me to deny such a request. Very well." She then adds a teasing grin on her face. "Could it be that you're asking me on a tiny date on this ship?"

Seeing the game she is playing, he decides to play along. "Well since I asked you, I guess you can consider it a date. Probably not a date you have in mind, but it's close to it."

"True. True. Well, Jack, you earned yourself a lucky date with me. But before we get into that, I have something I need to do."

"And what could it be?"

"This." She raises her hand and slaps him right on the face.

SMACK!

Cooper staggers a bit, stunned at the action Murrue did to him before his brown eyes meets her own angry ones.

"W-what did I do to deserve that?" asks a confused Jack.

The gorgeous captain looks at him with a heated glare, which by the way makes her look smoking hot. No pun intended of course.

"You know what I mean, Cooper. Thanks to your damn reckless stunt you pulled in space, I thought I lost you!"

At first he was wondering what he meant by stunts since he did a few up in space but he realized she was talking about the Titanfall landing when both he and Kira got stuck in Earth's gravitational pull.

He sees Murrue displaying a vulnerable reaction making him instinctively wrap his arms around her. Said lady snuggles in deeply to his broad, well-sculpted chest, enjoying his warm, hard body around her soft one. It made her warm and fuzzy inside. "Hey, it's okay Murrue. I'm here so you don't have to worry about a single thing. I told you over the radio that you're not gonna lose me in this war."

"Still, don't you know how scared I was? Don't you know the fear encroaching in my heart to see you perform that sort of landing? Even if you did practice the landing in your simulations, one miscalculation could've easily ended your life right there."

"But it didn't. BT did the math."

She leans on to him even more. "Even so, I was terrified."

"Murrue…"

She looks up to him, her brown orbs staring into his. "I know I can't limit the actions you pull in battle since you've ingrained it in yourself but please, Cooper. Promise me this. If you're going to do them, please make sure they're not going to kill you or severely injure you? If something bad happens to you…"

She shut her eyes, not wanting to imagine an injured or dying Cooper. Just thinking about it makes her body shiver in fear. His gaze softens, smiling a soft smile at her. "Well I guess so. Not promising you of course but I'll try."

Although it was not the exact answer she was hoping, she will take what she can get. "That's fine Cooper. As long as you're safe and come back to me in my arms that's all it matters."

The last part of her statement made him look at her, eyes widening a bit but at the same time, happiness welled within them. He cannot deny the feelings he has for the brunette captain before her. Sure, he has his fair share of short relationships with the ladies, or rather flings to be more precise, in the Militia but the feeling he has for this woman who he is currently holding his arms in cannot compare to those he previously dated. Hell, the romantic feelings he has for Murrue is way more than the previous women he can think of in the back of his mind.

If she is saying it to him in such a manner, does that mean…

"Murrue."

"Hmm?"

"That last part of your statement, Murrue. Does this mean that you're having feelings for me? In a romantic sense per say?"

He just wanted to kick himself for asking such a question. For crying out loud, of course the lady in his arms is developing some romantic feelings for him! Why else would she even say such an intimate part in her statement? Even a person who is not in a relationship can tell him she is definitely gunning to capture his heart.

Still, our resident Militia pilot wants to make sure he is not making a misunderstanding. He does not want to live with some awkward memory of him making a misconception of her words to indicate her having romantic feelings for him. It will haunt him for the rest of his life if he makes a misunderstanding. Better to be safe than sorry.

Murrue's face turns a bit red when he caught her slip up. Now she knows she cannot escape or deny the romantic feelings swirling in her entire being for her love interest. Taking a deep breath, she takes a courageous stance to tell her man that she likes him in a romantic sense.

"Yes Cooper, I do. I do have feelings for you which are more than mere friends or acquaintances."

A warm, heartfelt smile forms on his face. His fears are laid to rest. The woman he is romantically interested in shares the same feelings he does. At first, he never thought he would have a love life in this new world he is thrown into. After all, he was focused on his mercenary work to even consider having one. But when he and BT stepped foot into the _Archangel_ , everything changed. His mind is no longer on the Frontier. His mind is no longer on the Militia or heading back to the front to finally put down the IMC and their affiliates in their interstellar civil war.

No. He has a new goal in mind. His focus is to live through this war not only for his and the crew's sakes, but for Murrue's. To return to her and live together happily after this war is over.

Or at least he hopes it might end up being that way but regardless, he will keep his promise to her.

And by God as his witness, he will stay true to it!

"Well, Murrue. Let me just say you're in luck because I too developed some romantic feelings for you."

The woman's heart beats in happiness to hear her object of affections say that to her. Now she can fully lay whatever fears she has in her mind and be with her man. Besides, it is time for her to move on from her previous relationship to a new one. It is time for her to have happiness return after the traumatic heartbreak of losing her previous boyfriend. Hopefully, if things go well, they can evolve their status from a dating relationship to a marriage one.

But for now, she will focus on the present and enjoy what they have at the moment.

Breaking from their hold, albeit reluctantly, Cooper held her close to him by the shoulder. "Say, you still up for that little dinner date?"

Murrue gives him a beaming smile. "Of course. I wouldn't miss it for the world."

The two entered in the mess hall, with nobody around except for the cook and a few assistants. They grabbed their trays, selecting whatever is on the house before sitting down, with Murrue sitting in front of him.

"So, care to tell me a little bit of yourself?"

"Well, if you must Cooper…"

The two chatted with each other, sharing some stories both personal and non-personal before finishing up their meal. Although this is not the typical date you would have for your significant other, it is as close you can get for a couple in the military.

The two continued to stay in the cafeteria for a bit, talking about other topics like the war and what they might do after the conflict is over before leaving the place. The two newly formed lovebirds walked with each other down the halls of the Archangel before stopping in front of her quarters.

"Well I guess this is it. I know the date is kinda bland but considering the circumstances we're dragged in, it's the best I can do."

Murrue, however, did not mind the small date they had in the ship. "Oh don't be silly, Cooper. Sure it may not be as romantic as we want it but the thought counts. And I'm not saying it just to make sure your feelings aren't hurt."

He gives her a tender smile making her return the gesture. It may be early in their relationship, but Cooper has a gut feeling this will lead to something beautiful. For now, he will have to wait and see where this goes. "Well then. I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

Before he can do anything, Murrue grabs his arm a bit making him look at her with a raised eyebrow. "Yes? Can I help you with something?"

She has a heavy blush on her face. She knows it is highly inappropriate for her to request this from him, especially in the beginning of their relationship, but she steeled herself to carry out her request.

"I-I know we're just beginning our relationship, and it's a red flag on the dating manual but you don't have to sleep alone in the night. Y-y-you can sleep with me if you want."

Oh ho, getting bold now is she? Being the teaser he is, he decides to poke fun at Murrue for her rather audacious request. "Oh my. I never knew you'd be this bold to head straight for the home run. Such a naughty captain you are~."

As expected, she blushed up a storm on the insinuation. She should have seen this coming from a mile away. Now she is definitely regretting about her decision to go forward a bit in their relationship, knowing full well he would use this against her and tease her to no end.

"So you do want to _sleep_ with me in that manner? You're definitely a naughty captain aren't ya? Well, I did promise you I'd give a grand time in the bedroom once we have one date together. Seeing the mess hall counted as date, now is the time to deliver my promise to you. Don't worry though, I'll make sure you're not disappointed. I'll make sure you'll be getting the maximum pleasure you can ever feel while you're with me. That's another promise I'll give you."

Murrue's face glowed red hot, her eyes comically start rolling in circles, imagining herself and Cooper in such intimate positions as they go at it in the night. Jack swore he saw steam coming out of her head as her fantasies continued to get wilder and wilder.

"Um…ah…I…hah…"

He cannot help it anymore. He begins to laugh making Murrue snap out of her daydream. She heatedly glares right at him for using her words against her. The captain just pouts at him cutely.

"Aww look at you. You're so cute when you pout!"

Of course, this made her pout even more making herself cuter to him.

"It's not funny Cooper!"

He laughs for a bit before calming himself down. When he does look at her straight in the eye, gone is the teasing, fun-natured person. It is replaced with a concerned, caring boyfriend, wanting to make sure this is what she truly wants.

Let it be known that despite the short relationships he has in the past before and during his time with the Militia, he is a caring boyfriend and lover, wanting to make sure the lady's feelings are taken into account. He does not want to rush things that could end up hurting either of them in the process and that is the very last thing he needs to have in his mind as they fight this war.

"Jokes aside, you sure you want me to spend the night with you, Murrue? Quite a big leap in the relationship. True that I did say we can do whatever we want after one date be it sex or other intimate things and I've never backtracked from it, I want to make sure you aren't letting your vulnerability take control of you. That you're doing this to make your fears go away."

Yes, it is quite a big leap in their relationship. Especially when they are just starting out. Murrue, while touched for her boyfriend to be concerned of her welfare, is steadfast in her decision. Although it is quite a leap in terms of intimacy, she is not going to chicken out on it.

"Yes, I'm sure of it Cooper. I know it's a red flag in the dating game but when you're in a war you have less time to know your lover. We have to take advantage of the small breaks in between this conflict to know each other intimately. So what do you say? You in or out? I'm not going to hold it against you if you think otherwise."

Cooper grins at her. Who is he to deny such an offer when the woman, no his woman, before him truly wants it? "Who am I say no? Well then, let's head to bed shall we?"

Murrue typed in the code to her quarters before the door hisses, opening up at the side. The two entered in before took off her uniform, leaving her in a white tank top and underwear while Cooper took off his shirt and sweatpants, leaving him in his underwear.

Her eyes roamed around his tattooed built figure up and down, definitely loving what she looks. " _Oh…my…GOD! He's so delicious to look at! Those muscles…those abs and…goodness gracious is he that big underneath?!_ "

Cooper smirks smugly, knowingly she is liking the view but he has to admit, he too is liking Murrue's figure.

" _Man, she's quite the beauty alright. Hell, her figure may have placed some of those I've dated in the past to shame. Definitely lucky as hell to be with her alright._ "

After checking out the other's figure, they went to bed with Cooper placing the blanket over them. She snuggles into his chest, enjoying his warmth while he wraps his arms around her, holding her tightly to him. Their legs intertwined underneath the sheets as they stare intently to each other's eyes. Nothing but affection and warmth hidden shining in those orbs.

A moment of silence has passed before Cooper leans in to kiss her forehead making her smile warmly at the affectionate gesture.

"Goodnight Murrue."

"Goodnight Jack. Sweet dreams."

The two occupants closed their eyes, holding each other in their arms as they let sleep take over them.

* * *

Despite the few days have passed with no actual fighting taking place, there will be somebody who will take notice of the mighty Earth Alliance warship sitting snuggly in the middle of the desert landscape.

Far away from the Archangel's position, a ZAFT land-class ship known as the _Lesseps_ is situated on top of a sand mound. The landship belongs to no other than the mighty Commander Andrew Waltfeld.

Speaking of the Desert Tiger, the man himself is in his office, enjoying a nice cup of coffee. On his desk were a few bags of coffee along with some sugar. Off to the side is his trusty coffee machine that he just brought recently from a local bazaar.

"Ah, nothing but a good cup of coffee to start the night. Hmm…perhaps after the war's over, I can begin my plans to start my own shop. Now what to name it…"

His musings were interrupted as a knock came through the door. "Sir! Permission to enter."

"Come in."

The door opened revealing his trusty second-in-command, Martin DaCosta. The redhead entered in his office, saluting to him before handing him over the TACPAD. "Excuse me for interrupting whatever business you're attending but this requires our utmost attention."

Andrew places his mug on the desk, taking the TACPAD from Martin. He scrolls through the device, reading through the report. "Well, well, well, what do we have here? Looks like the reports from our scouts are true. We have some unexpected and uninvited guests around here, eh?"

"Yes sir."

"So the EA's ship, the _Archangel_ , is the one that Rau couldn't destroy in space? Huh, I'll give them props for escaping and trouncing his attempts to obliterate them."

Martin sweatdrops at his commander. Of all the people he has to serve under, he was assigned to one of the most…interesting characters in ZAFT. Still, he is not complaining since he is quite a laidback, carefree person compared to other serious, uptight commanders.

"Still, my dear DaCosta! Lady Luck seems to shine upon us with her beautiful, radiant smile as we now get to fight a worthy foe before us. Besides, it's nice to have some fun for a change aside from dealing with some rebel cells and extremists coming from you-know-who."

"Yes sir. Shall I get the troops and Viper ready sir?"

"Hmm, don't get our resident mercenary ready just yet since he still has to adjust his mobile suit but please do rally the others. We're about to have some major fun tonight."

* * *

Moving away from the _Lesseps_ , another group is also observing the parked Archangel. This is the rebel force known as the Desert Dawn, with Cagalli, and her assigned bodyguard, Ledonir Kisaka, to her left while Sahib Ashman is to her right. Off to the side are Davis and Droz with their respective Titans behind them, CG-5676 and DT-4414, admiring the view and look of the _Archangel_.

"You sure this is the rumored _Archangel_ , Cagalli?" asks Sahib.

The blonde tomboy nods to the elderly man. "I've only seen blueprints of it during my time in Heliopolis but there's definitely no mistake about it. This is the _Archangel_ alright."

"Why hello beautiful! Man, will you look at that beauty! Hot damn, she beats the other ships in aesthetics. Wonder if homeboy Jacky is in there." says Davis.

Droz just shrugs at him. "Could be but we'll just have to wait. Besides, I do agree with your assessment of it, Davis. The _Archangel_ is indeed beautiful and deadly in her own right. And you know how dangerous such a combination is."

"Oh yeah. She's like the good book's Angel of Death only in ship form! Man those EA guys know how to make a mean ship if I have to say anything about it. Giving it a ten out of ten ratings for this bad girl."

Cagalli's eyes twitched while Kisaka and Sahib sighed at their antics. They long gave up in trying to change their goofball habits and are starting to wonder if hiring them was a mistake. Still, despite their antics and frat boy attitudes, they cannot deny that these two do bring results to the table and have done some tremendous work in freeing Africa from ZAFT control bit by bit.

"Seriously? You two are admiring an Earth Alliance ship for its aesthetics?" asks an incredulous Cagalli.

The two fun-natured mercenaries shrugged their shoulders at her. "Why not? I mean, it's a pretty ship if you ask me. I mean come on Cags! You can't deny the beauty she has to offer here." says Davis.

Her eyes narrowed heatedly at the fun-loving mercenary. "My name is Cagalli, not Cags! Quit shortening my name!"

Davis ignores the menacing glare the tomboy gave him. "Speaking of which…Cags! Ain't it past your bedtime? Kids like you need to get some sleep if you want to grow tall. If you don't, you're gonna end up being a squirt for the rest of your life. Let the adults handle the job while the kiddies get their nappy time."

This earned some snickers from the rebels while the disguised Princess of Orb looks like she is about to explode. It is always entertaining to see the two go at each other, be it meetings, in battle, or off the battlefield.

"For your information buster, I'm a teenager, not a kid! I can handle having a few hours of sleep."

Davis does not seem to be convinced on her claim. "Mhm, we do see the results alright. A few hours of sleep equals an angry person. Besides, if you keep being all angry and what not, not only will your blonde hair grow white but you won't be able to get a boyfriend down the line. Man, that's probably why there aren't so many guys asking you out. It's because you keep scaring them with your angry as hell attitude."

This sparked a ton of laughter from the rebels, and a chuckle from Droz and even the normally serious Kisaka. Sahib tiredly shakes his head at the two mercenaries while Cagalli's head simmered in rage at Davis' jab.

"Oh really? Then how come the ladies aren't swooning over to you like a boyfriend not coming to me and having the guts to ask me out, hm?"

"It's because I'm charming, charismatic, rugged, laidback, and know when to have fun. I have a sense of adventure while you Ms. Grumpy Pants don't. Ladies like that in a man such as myself."

"Tch, I highly doubt that." snarks Cagalli.

"I completely agree with you there, kid." says Droz. This earned him a look of betrayal from his partner despite his face hidden behind his helmet.

"Et tu, Droz? I thought we're bros man!"

The Last Resort leader shrugs his shoulders at him making his childish partner whine at his betrayal. Davis turned to the bodyguard. "Kisaka, how is it possible that Cagalli turned my bro and buddy, Droz, against me? Just how?"

He shrugs at him. "Not so sure, Davis. Figure it out yourself."

Sahib pinches the bridge of his nose, wanting to stay back on track. Before he can say anything, one of the rebels called out to the man from the truck. "Boss!"

"What is it?"

"We got a visual on the Tiger and his troops leaving the _Lesseps_!"

" _The Desert Tiger wants to draw first blood huh?_ " He rubs his chin, trying to figure out a plan before he hears two pairs of large thudding footsteps. Looking to the side, he saw their mobile suits picking them up before placing them in the cockpits.

"What are you two doing?" asks Sahib.

"What does it looks like, boss? We're getting ourselves ready for the big show and it'd be rude of us to show up late to the party." answered Davis.

"Although we know the CGUE pilot is a skilled person to boot and can take care of himself in a fight against multiple ZAFT opponents, we're not gonna let our colleague hog all the fun."

"You said it brother! Besides, it's time for us to give the guy a little hello from us and also show the Desert Tiger who he's messing with. Good idea, Droz?"

"Great idea, Davis."

Before the duo left to get themselves in position, he halts them for a moment with an order. "Alright, I know you two are itching for a fight but before you head over to meet up with your colleague, I want you to stay put. We'll see how good they fare against the enemy."

"So you want to see if they have what it takes to Andrew out of the game?" clarified Droz.

"Exactly."

The two mechs faced each other mimicking the two Last Resort members looking at each other before turn back to Sahib. "Eh sure thing but don't worry. If buddy over at the Archangel is the same person we worked with, then you'll have nothing to be skeptical about. Still, if those are your orders, we'll oblige." said Davis.

The Desert Dawn leader just watched them leave the group as they animatedly chatted with each other about meeting their buddy, Cooper, whom he assumes is the pilot of the CGUE unit that landed here in the desert. As they continue to move away from the group, he saw one fellow rebel approach him with a confused expression on his face.

"So what do we do now, boss? Are we still gonna continue with our plan in luring the Tiger's BuCUEs to our trap or let them take care of things from there?"

He sighs before answering his colleague's question. "We'll let them take care of it. Besides, they wanted to get in on the action so who am I to deny them their request? I too am curious at their piloting skills."

"Should we deactivate the explosives and pack them back to our trucks?"

"Do it after the battle."

The rebel nods before heading back to the truck with the rest of the Desert Dawn. Now all they have to do is sit back and wait for the battle to commence.

* * *

[Omake]

The two ex 6-4 mercenaries, in their respective Titans, are having their own conversation whilst having a nice hot cup of coffee. How they were able to get it in there, nobody knows.

Perhaps, it is better to not question them since it will only lead to a massive headache.

Davis made a sound of satisfaction as he places his coffee mug on the cupholder. "Ah, nothing but a nice cup of coffee to start a fight. Am I right Droz?"

"You said it Davis. Can't live without this stuff."

"Speaking of coffee, you think Andrew Waltfeld is a coffee type of person? I mean judging by the news footage and photos, he seems to look like a coffee lover more than a tea lover. Not that I have anything against people who love tea or anything but he seems to be that type of guy who'd make a mean coffee brew if you know what I'm saying."

"You know that's a good point you made, Davis. I'm not so sure about it. Maybe if we get the chance to meet him, we can ask him."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the desert, the Desert Tiger himself sneezed, nearly dropping his coffee mug in the process.

"You alright, sir? You catching a cold or something?" asks a concerned Martin.

"Ah, sorry about that Martin. For your second question, I don't think I'm coming down with something since it's impossible for Coordinators to get one. Must be somebody's talking about me and my love of coffee."

The redhead second in command sweatdrops at his superior officer. "I highly doubt it's like that sir."

He takes a sip before his eyes gain a glint. "It has to be somebody, Martin, for nobody talks about me without mentioning coffee! Or it must be my dear sweet Aisha who's praising me for my bedroom prowess. If that's the case, then I'll have to promise to deliver some of my rugged charms on her after this mission is over."

Again, Martin sweatdrops at the ludicrous claims, this time, his eyes are twitching. "I still call it absurd how somebody's talking about you and your love for coffee. And second, I don't need to hear details about what you and Miss Aisha do in your own spare time. Please keep that to yourself."

The Desert Tiger chuckles in amusement before taking another drink. "Still acting like shy I see? Well, when you have girlfriend, you'll come to understand the beautiful phenomenon known as love."

Martin's eyebrow twitches uncontrollably before sighing in defeat. "Let's just head back to the task at hand sir. We still need to come up with a plan to fight the EA's legged ship."

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Alright ladies and gentlemen, we are finished with this chapter. I know there is not a lot of action but I wanted to take this time to develop the relationship between Murrue and our Militia hero, Jack. I do not know if I am making a right decision in progressing the love chemistry between them but I feel as though this is a good call to make.**

 **I also placed some bit of sexual connotations to the story but not to the point where it would lead into a lemon. Still, let** **me know in the review section if I did a good job in the relationship aspect.**

 **Speaking of our dearly loved captain, man she is definitely a woman you do not want to be in an angry mood. Then again, Cooper did not tell her, or the crew for that matter, about the process known as Titanfall so it is understandable that Murrue would think it was a suicide run for him to land both himself and BT to the ground.**

 **And of course, when she unleashes her fears of her losing him to the Militia pilot, she slips up and confesses her feelings to him. Of course, not saying "I love you" to him but showing her romantic sentiments and emotions to the young man.**

 **I do not need to tell you the rest because the chapter highlights it for you.**

 **We also have another twist in the mix! Viper is alive. Yes, Mr. I Got Good Tone mercenary is in the house! The same mercenary we all love because of his cool, professional, cold, ruthless personality and, let us be honest here, we love him because of his awesome military jargon.**

 **We also hate him because he is the second to last boss in the campaign that is hard to beat in any difficulty because of his fucking modified Northstar Titan with the long VTOL Hover, the deadly Flight Core, and the modified Railgun that can drain your shields in one shot.**

 **Do you not know how many times I have raged during the Viper fight?! I do not even main Papa Scorch because I am a Monarch/Northstar main but I did it to see how I could do it against him. Till this day, I had nightmares about that boss fight because I decided to play Master difficulty and use Scorch to beat the damn mercenary. I definitely regretted taking up that challenge. To those who decide to take up the Scorch challenge in fighting Viper on Master difficulty, be warned, it is going to be a trip to hell. If you blame me for the many deaths and attempts in beating Viper using the Papa Scorch challenge, I did say I warned you.**

 **My rant about our beloved mercenary over, I decided to add him into the story. Out of all the Apex Predators, Viper is number one on the badass list with Ash being second. The rest are just…meh. He is just a cool character and him getting killed in the story just rubs me the wrong way. So I decided to add him into the mix.**

 **So does that mean, we have other new Apex Predator members on the way? Could be. Who knows?**

 **I also outfitted Mu's and Jane's Skygraspers with Arc rounds since beam weapons are supposed to be ineffective in the atmosphere due to the heat and weather factor. So what better way to let them perform well in battle than some good ole Arc rounds? It will also scare the ZAFT pilots shitless now that the enemy is outfitted with electrical rounds instead of normal bullets.**

 **Also did you like my little omake at the end? I read a few stories where there are some hilarious omakes at the end so I decided, why not make one here? It will not be a frequent thing but a once in a while sort of deal. Besides, with Davis and Droz, aka "The Frontier Frat Boys" with us in the Cosmic Era, we may as well set them up.**

 **I mean, it is Davis and Droz. Do we need to explain anything else?**

 **Little interesting fact about me, the author, I am not a coffee lover but a tea lover. Now before you guys explode on me, saying how can that be since coffee is supreme, let me say my mom introduced me to tea when I was around 12 years old. My first drink is of course the classic green tea. When I drank it, I was quite amazed at how good it was so I tried different types of tea such as pomegranate, black, barley, chamomile, mint, chai, peach and so on. Coffee is just not my thing so sorry. If it comforts you, my dad is a major coffee drinker so I guess that makes up for it, right?**

 **Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Remember to leave constructive criticism in the review section instead of flames and I will see you guys in the next one.**

 **Take care!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

 **A/N:**

 **Alrighty ladies and gentlemen this is your author, Giriko-99 here with another lovely chapter of** _ **Mobile Suit Titan SEED**_ **! Last time, we found the** _ **Archangel**_ **and her crew in the middle of the African desert with Kira suffering some heatstroke due to the extreme heat of the Strike's cockpit. Thankfully, his Coordinator genes helped him get out of that funk but as Cooper mentions, whether Coordinator or not, he should count himself lucky to still be alive.**

 **We also find Cooper and Murrue getting together as a couple and taking whatever breaks they can get to progress their relationship and see how well this works out.**

 **Not to mention, Andrew Waltfeld himself, aka The Desert Tiger, is eager to fight the** _ **Archangel**_ **and her mobile suits while the Desert Dawn is ready to hop into action to stop the ZAFT commander. Davis and Droz are eagerly waiting to get in the action ring and surprisingly, the infamous Viper of the Apex Predators, is still kicking and is now working with ZAFT thanks to a contract he made with the Desert Tiger.**

 **What sort of fun and games awaits us? Who knows?**

 **Just a little update, I have been a bit busy so forgive me if I was not able to publish a new chapter. Midterm week is no joke and I had to study so I did not have much time with writing the new chapter.**

 **I am a bit burnt out and somewhat started to lose some motivation in writing this story because of stress and other things but I will try and continue on the train and make sure we can complete this story as reasonable as we can.**

 **Legend:**

 **Hello – BT-7274 Speaking**

 _ **Hello**_ **– Thoughts, or flashback.**

 **Hello** **– Radio communications, news media outlet.**

 **Disclaimer: Titanfall belongs to Respawn Entertainment while Gundam SEED belongs to Sunrise and directed by Mitsudo Fukuda.**

* * *

 _Jack Davidson Cooper's Log Book 4.1_

 _If I were to be quite honest with you, ladies and gentlemen, I'm on cloud nine. The woman of my dreams, Murrue Ramius, who's the Archangel's captain by the way, is now my girlfriend._

 _Never felt happier in my life. Now, I know what you're thinking. I'm acting like the corny guy in a typical romance movie who was able to score the woman he is pursuing but if you were in my shoes, you'd feel the same way._

… _Okay maybe not but you get the point._

 _Ah, she feels so nice and soft that it makes me want to hold her in my arms forever. Truly, if there's one word that I can describe her, it could be around the lines of goddess or something of that nature. Heaven incarnate if I dare say so myself._

 _Well anyways, I don't have anything much to say other than I'm sleepy and need some much-needed rest. Goodnight._

 _Jack Cooper, Pilot of BT-7274, 41st Militia Rifle Battalion._

* * *

Outside in the middle of the Sahara Desert with the moon shining above the night sky, Andrew Waltfeld along with his second-in-command officer, Martin DaCosta, watch the big white vessel known as the _Archangel_ sitting in the middle of the desert dunes. The redhead Coordinator is on his stomach, his elbows propped on the soft sand watching through his binoculars while the grizzled ZAFT command looks at the white warship intently with his brown eyes.

He looks down at his redhead executive officer to see if he spots any movement from their enemy. "So Martin. How's the big angel doin' in our backyard? Any sign of movement from the beauty?"

He takes his binoculars off his eyes before looking up at his superior. "No movement sir. She's sitting perfectly still."

Humming for a moment, he looks right back at the white warship. "I guess that doesn't come as a surprise. On Earth's surface, anything to do with electronic waves are disrupted thanks to the N-Jammers. Disruption of radio waves makes the legged ship sleepy."

"Well that's true sir…"

Taking a drink of his coffee, his eyes widened a bit in surprise prompting DaCosta to direct his binoculars right at the _Archangel_. "What is it sir?! Did the enemy make a move?"

The commander chuckles a bit before looking right down at the brew he created. "Oh my dear DaCosta, it isn't the enemy that caught my surprise! Rather, the coffee I just created. I decided to create a little experiment by blending this bad boy with five percent less Mocca Matari and boy did it knock me off my boots. Definitely have to write this down as one of my favorite blends in the handy-dandy coffee book."

The redhead looks at him as if he lost his mind. "Seriously sir? That's what grabbed your attention?"

"One day DaCosta, you'll learn to admire the grand taste of coffee. One day, you'll learn to appreciate the goodness a masterfully created brew can do to a tired body."

Again, he looks at him as if he already lost his marbles or somewhere along those lines. Did he hit his head against his LaGOWE's cockpit during Operation: UROBOROS? Could be but he has to remember that this is Andrew Waltfeld. Despite being an excellent commander and mobile suit pilot, he has rather odd hobbies to boot.

His love for coffee being the obvious and his love for food being the other. If there is anything he likes other than a nice brew, it is a nice meal. One bite, the Desert Tiger is either praising it or telling the cook what he or she did wrong down to the last detail. He truly had to work with the oddest commander in the entire ZAFT army.

" _He would definitely be a nice fit for some of those cooking programs back in the PLANTs. I wouldn't be surprised if he starts his own series after the war._ "

Not out loud, Martin will have to admit, he does pick up some interest in food which is thanks to Andrew himself. Coffee, not so much but for food, yes. In fact, whenever he is not looking at reports or other duties piled up on his day, he will use his free time to search up on some dishes he would like try and cook for himself.

Commander Waltfeld took another drink of his coffee before turning around to meet his troops. With Martin following behind him, the two ZAFT soldiers went down a small sandy hill before the stopping before the assembled troops for this mission.

Looking at what they brought with them, the redhead wonders if this is overkill to bring out this much firepower just to have some "fun" with the _Archangel_ and her units.

Then again, the Earth Forces aboard this ship did thwart Le Creuset's and his team's efforts time and time again to sink it before reaching to Earth so it is not unreasonable by any means. Especially with reports of the Strike and the custom CGUE. More so with the latter being able to beat the infamous Harken Team which is renowned for its speed in taking down Earth Alliance space vessels in a matter of seconds.

Still, tonight will be the night where they can see the mobile suits in action instead of watching clips of their combat prowess through the reports given to them by Le Creuset.

Martin's attention is brought back when Andrew begins to address his troops.

"Playtime's over gentlemen because we're back in business. We'll begin our operation against the Earth Force's new ship, the _Archangel_ and the units she brought with her from space to Earth. The objective is simple. We're to evaluate the combat strength of the ship and the machines and what better way to do it than simple combat?"

"So we're not to destroy either the ship or mobile suits? What's the fun in that?" The BuCUE pilot's comment made the other pilots snicker.

Andrew just shrugs his shoulders. "Eh, we'll cross that bridge when we get there but I do have to warn you gentlemen, neither the ship nor its units are to be underestimated. Remember, the Le Creuset team tried to stop it from reaching to Earth by throwing everything they have at them. Even the stolen prototypes piloted by his redcoats or our beloved Harken Team couldn't stop them."

He finishes drinking his coffee before tossing the mug back to Martin. "Halberton's Eighth Fleet sacrificed themselves to make sure the ship makes its descent here to help out in whatever major operations the EA has in store. A little FYI just in case you need to know."

"What about the reports of the custom CGUE with them? You think it'll show up once we start hitting them?" asks another pilot.

He gives the soldier an eager grin. "I'd like to think so and this fight will determine if the infamous beast will come out from its cave. Until I see it with my own two eyes, I'll remain skeptical about it and think Commander Le Creuset is making up some sort of scare to get us worried for nothing."

The soldiers snickered at Andrew's jab at the masked commander. It is no secret to them that their commander is not fond of him in any way, shape or form. Despite his dislike to Rau, he still respects his piloting skills which is the _only_ respect he will give him.

"Well gentlemen, I hope Lady Luck is on our side and gives us a nice sweet victory but in case she isn't, I pray for your safety and success! Time to give the legged ship our warmest regards Waltfeld style!"

The man saluted before him making Andrew return the gesture. DaCosta steps in front of them to give out a simple order. "All pilots and helicopter crew members step into your respective machines! We'll begin our assault immediately!"

While the soldiers got into their respective units, Martin and Andrew hopped on board the jeep, with the former taking the wheel while the latter sits on the passenger side of the vehicle. As the redhead starts the vehicle, the brown-haired commander looks over to his troops readying themselves for their fight of the night.

"When the coffee's great, you know things will turn out alright. That's what I always say."

Once the jeep's engines hummed to life, the second-in-command looks steps on the gas, following their comrades into battle. During the drive, he cannot help but ask him something.

"Sir, I cannot help but wonder why you're skeptical of Le Creuset's reports pertaining to the custom CGUE. I don't think a man of his station would be making up something if it actually stopped him and his team from taking out the EA ship and stop the Harken Team from trying taking a shot at the vessel."

"True but the footage shown to me in the reports took place in space. Space warfare doesn't have the same rules as atmospheric warfare. Unless the pilot grabbed a Guul to gain an advantage over us and provide air support for the _Archangel_ , he'll have to adjust his suit's mechanics to fight on the ground. The CGUE may be a high-performance machine but the BuCUEs are the kings of ground warfare and with that, I want to see it for myself before I make my judgement. Does that answer your question, Martin?"

The redhead nods his head to his officer. "I guess you're right on that, sir."

"Glad we're on the same boat. Now then, let's go fight ourselves a war."

* * *

Down in the _Archangel_ 's hangar, Murdoch, his mechanic teams, Jane and Mu are busy adjusting the Skygraspers outfitted with Arc weaponry along with other programs installed in the fighter aircrafts. Murdoch continues to type a couple codes into the screen, along with clicking a couple options presented before him until he looks up to both mobile armor pilots with an exhausted look on his face.

"Lieutenant Jane, Commander La Flaga, how about we call it a day?"

The blonde woman looks right at the older man with a raised eyebrow. "What the hell are you talking about, chief? We need to get the Skygraspers adjusted before they're combat ready."

He takes a sigh before looking right at Jane. "Listen, Lieutenant Jane. We've been going at it for the whole day and some of these modules can't be accomplished within a single sitting. If you're a tech whiz then alright, you can probably do it but I don't think programming or software engineering is your forte."

The chief mechanic jerks his thumb to the tired men sleepily yawning at the screen. Each and every one of them looked like they had seen better days. Although the coffee is helping them stay awake to get their work done, the body can only stay up for so long before it sends signals to the brain that it needs to sleep in order for it to rejuvenate.

"Besides, my men haven't gotten a lot of sleep these past few days thanks to the shifts we've been going through. They've been working nonstop to get the mobile suits and their armaments repaired. And speaking of armaments, getting the Strike's shield back to peak condition is a nightmare neither of us gearheads ever want to experience again."

Jane was about to retort but looking at the sleep deprived state of the mechanics makes her sigh. "Good point there, Chief."

"Besides, it wouldn't do you or Commander La Flaga any good if we finish this up in one night. It'll take some time before we can even launch these things in the battlefield."

Mu stretches before hopping off the fighter aircraft. "He does have a point, Jane but I'm with you as well. From what I heard, Kira's feeling better so we'll be expected to get going tomorrow. We're in the middle of ZAFT territory so the sooner we get going, the better."

Jane sighs, hopping off the cockpit of the fighter aircraft. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Still, I would've liked to get these out of the way. The last thing I need is my Skygrasper to malfunction during a fight."

Murdoch shakes his hand at it. "Don't worry, you'll still get some chances to deploy in the field but for now, we'll be closing up shop."

Shifting from the hangar back to the barracks section, Tolle emerges from his room, groggy and his uniform placed on haphazardly. He yawns a bit before looking over to see his girlfriend following suit with a frown on her face.

"Seriously, Tolle? Can't you wear it properly?"

"Ersh…erm…ugh…ggh…" The young man did not respond since his mind is somewhere else at the moment. Besides, with somebody such a state, there is little he can say for that matter.

Shaking her head, she gets in front of him, straightening out his jacket before buttoning it up. "If you arrive on the bridge like that, you'll be yelled at again by Lieutenant Badgiruel. You know how she gets when she sees you or anybody haphazardly dressed."

"Mrgh…I…don't…car-guh…wha were you shaying..."

Miriallia sighs before clipping the last button on his uniform. "Sometimes I even wonder if you take your job seriously or not. Well you better lest you want to be stuck in latrine duty for the next few weeks. Now come on, it's time for our shift."

Rubbing the sleep away from his eyes, Tolle follows his girlfriend to the bridge to report in for their shift. The doors parted revealing Duane, Chandra, Kuzzey, and Arnold all gathered in the bridge. Mirillia looked over to Admiral Halberton to report in for their shift.

"Sir, we're in for our shift."

The blonde admiral looks over to them and greets them with a smile. "Ah, excellent, you're just in time. I believe you know the drill but just in case that you do spot some unknown or hostile activity, do report it."

"Yes sir."

The two teens saluted to the admiral before heading to their respective posts. While they got in their seats, Chandra and Halberton are looking over Kuzzey's screen to read the layouts of the radio interference running all over the system.

"What's with the radio interference running all over Earth? Is it because of the N-Jammers ZAFT used in the beginning of the war?" asks Kuzzey.

Chandra pushes his glasses as he continues to look at the screen. "Pretty much. Thanks to the N-Jammers, it renders our radars and communications completely useless."

He looks up to the two men. "Isn't there a way we can do to take them out? I mean, there's gotta be a way to stop them from interfering with our radar or communications."

"Quite a tall order if you ask us. When those N-Jammers landed on Earth during the opening stages, they were shot deep below Earth's surface. I'm guessing they sent out a lot but if you're wondering about exact numbers, we don't know how many burrowed their way. If it were possible, somebody would've done it already."

Admiral Halberton adds his two cents in. "Radio waves and fission-based energy are adversely affected but it's still a better alternative than having nuclear missiles flying around. If ZAFT did use such devastating weapons after what happened in Junius Seven, I fear there wouldn't be an Earth anymore."

Kuzzey's mind immediately pictures Earth imploding to a fiery ball of glory thanks to the nuclear warheads ZAFT launched in retaliation of the Junius Seven tragedy. He will rather take the Neutron Jammers any day than nukes flying around the air, devastating entire places into nothing but wastelands.

Hearing the bridge's door opening got their attention. Behind the door reveals Natarle carrying a couple water bottles with her. Handing each and every one of them to the members in the bridge, she relieves Halberton of his duty to watch over the bridge.

"Sir, I'll be taking over this shift."

"Thank you Lieutenant Badgiruel. I'll be heading over to my quarters to get some rest."

Natarle looks around to see Murrue not present in the bridge. "Sir, if I may, when did Captain Ramius leave to get some rest?"

"A few hours ago. She decided to turn in for the night after she was done looking over some matters."

"I see. Well carry on sir as I'll take it from here."

Giving her a salute, he left the bridge leaving Natarle in charge. Once he is gone, she looks over to Chandra who snaps in attention before her.

"Anything unusual while I was gone?"

"No ma'am! Nothing out of the ordinary."

Nodding, she looks over to Arnold. "Do we have the data on the hull's distortion?"

He takes a drink of water before answering her. "Ah yes. Based on simplified measurements, the stress strain has stopped within the permissible range. The details…" Placing his water bottle to the side, he lets it go. Instead of the object floating in the air like he was used to in space, it dropped straight to the floor. Thankfully, the lid did not pop open to create such a big mess.

This prompted Kuzzey and Chandra to snicker while Natarle shakes her head at the ensign. Picking it up, she hands it back to him. "Ensign, please do remember that we're not in a weightless state anymore. We're here in Earth so that means gravity is in effect."

"Ah right. Sorry about that…"

She takes a look at his screen, reading the data before her. "There are irregularities in the gravitational field. Perhaps this is an effect from the underground caves."

"What do you mean by that, Lieutenant Badgiruel?" asks a confused Tolle.

Arnold answers it for him. "Although the readings we are getting are based on pre-war data we don't know the exact location of these caves. Said caves are actually abandoned oil, natural gas, and mineral mines. If we weren't careful in our landing spot, the results would've been disastrous."

Tolle's eyes widen in worry and fear. "Wait a minute! So is the spot we're on actually safe?! We're not on top of an active mine that can blow us all to hell, right?!"

Arnold gives him a reassuring look to the worried teenager. "Hey, relax there son. I'm confident that Cooper and Kira picked a safe rendezvous for us, otherwise, the _Archangel_ would've faced some serious damages. Isn't that right, Lieutenant Badgiruel?"

She did not say anything, opting to drink her water before hearing alarms blaring from the computer screens.

"What going on over there?" orders Natarle.

Chandra homes in on the incoming signatures before reporting back to her. "Laser detected aimed at this ship...Matching confirmed! It's a laser designator!"

"Alert the entire ship to battle two level stations immediately! Looks like the enemy decided to make their first move."

"Roger that ma'am!"

The entire ship became alive when the alarms continuously blared entirely. Immediately, Reina, Mu, and Jane went straight to the pilot room to get themselves geared up. While all the crew members frantically went around the ship like chickens with their heads cut off, Jack and Murrue stirred themselves from their slumber with tired yet angry groans.

Jack was the first to rub the sleep off his eyes before getting himself up from bed. "Ugh, what's going on?"

"Attention! All hands to Level Two battle stations! I repeat, all hands to Level Two battle stations! This is not a drill. Report to your posts immediately for combat."

Groaning in frustration at the small amount of sleep he was getting, he immediately got himself dressed. When the couple left the room, Jack was about to head over to the piloting room but was stopped by Murrue. The captain immediately kisses him on the cheek and squeezed his hand with her smaller one.

"Please be careful over there, Cooper."

He smiles in appreciation before giving her a kiss on the forehead. "Don't worry babe. You know I can handle myself over there but thanks for the advice. I'll be back before you know it."

"Make sure that you do, okay?"

He holds her tightly to him, laying his face on her hair, inhaling the sweet. "Sure thing. I'll see ya in a bit."

Slipping from her hands, he dashes to the pilot room to get his pilot gear on. Dressed up and ready to go, he heads down to the hangar to get into his machine. Hopping inside BT, he activates the controls before the hatch closed.

" **Welcome back Jack. How are you doing?** "

"Tired thanks to the little amount of sleep I got and mad because ZAFT decided it'd be funny to do it. But overall, I'm ready to rumble."

Activating the radio comms in his cockpit, he picked up a heated line from Kira from the Strike. "Hey where's the enemy?! The Strike is ready to launch!"

Miriallia was quite taken back by his outburst. "Wait a minute, Kira! We're not authorized to launch any mobile suits out just yet."

"I don't care! Hurry up and open the hatch!"

This time, Natarle enters in the communication line. "We still don't know the enemy's position or their size to authorize the mobile suits to launch."

"Still-"

Jack decides to halt the boy right there before he can say anything else. "Hey Kira! Chill out and relax. I know you hadn't been able to get some nice decent rest. Hell, none of us got any decent sleep but that doesn't give you any reason to lash out on them. Give the bridge members some time to assess the situation before we launch."

"Still, that doesn't mean we can sit here and do nothing! The enemy wouldn't wait for us to look at the situation and make our move. We have to go out there now!"

"Geez what crawled in the kid and died in his sleep..." He gives a sigh before contacting Murrue from his cockpit. "What do you say, boss? We launch immediately or wait for a minute or two before we figure out how many opponents we're dealing with?"

A faint explosion could be heard from the other side of the line as she contemplates it for a minute. Making up her mind, she turns back to Cooper. "As much as I don't like his attitude, we have no choice but to let you launch and engage the enemy. We can't make any subtle movements with just the ship's cannons alone because the helicopters are too fast for us to hit them."

"Got it. Wish us luck."

She smiles softly to him. "Don't worry. I have confidence in both of your skills but just in case, good luck out there."

Closing the line, Kira decided to launch first since the Strike is already equipped with the Launcher Striker Pack. Once the prototype left the ship, Cooper moves BT to the catapult. The armaments compartments opened up with Chief Murdoch's face appearing on his screen.

"What do you need for this sortie, son?" asks Murdoch.

"Vulcan shield, broadsword and the modified anti-aircraft shotgun."

"You got it!"

Arming BT with said armaments he requested, the Militia duo immediately launched from the ship. Once out in the battlefield, Reina hopped on the battlefield with her unit before they are greeted with some missile fire coming from the attack helicopters. Activating the Vortex Shield, the custom CGUE absorbed the cluster of missiles in the gravitational shield before unleashing it back at the attack helicopters. Swerving in different directions, they were able to miss it, though barely, before splitting off into different directions.

"Miriallia, what are we up against?" asks Cooper.

"ZAFT combat helicopters. I count at least a dozen of them, if not a bit more to their numbers."

Cooper frowns a bit in confusion. Combat helicopters against mobile suits and a well-armed, well-defended ship? Strange indeed. " _Huh, strange. I was expecting mobile suits first up, not choppers but if the guy we're facing is the infamous Desert Tiger, then he's probably using this as a warm up._ " Shaking his musings off his head, he gives the teenage girl a thumbs-up. "Thanks for the info. Keep us posted if there's anything new they'll throw at us."

Closing the line, he fires a couple shots at the flying vehicles only for them to hide behind a large mountain of sand. Clicking his tongue, he looks over to see Reina and Kira struggling to move their machines on the sandy ground.

Seeing the helicopters emerge from their hiding spot, he fired a few more shots to push them away before heading over to their position to provide them some covering fire. "Kira, Reina, what seems to be the matter over there? Looks like you guys are struggling badly." asks Cooper.

Reina was the first one to answer him. "We're stuck here in the sand. The mobile suits haven't been adjusted to cope with the surface yet. As it is, we're just sitting ducks here."

The helicopters came around for another pass to shoot down at them with another barrage of missiles and lead. Activating the Vortex Shield, he absorbed all of the projectiles before releasing it back to them. This time, two helicopters were torn to shreds, causing two fireballs to illuminate the night sky like holiday fireworks. Shooting off more explosive rounds at the helicopters, he gives them an order.

"Listen up. I'll keep these tangos off your tails but you better make it quick. I can't keep you covered for very long."

"Got it but don't worry about us, Jack. We'll manage."

" **Cooper! We have incoming rockets coming at six o'clock! Recommend we evade and return fire.** " warns BT.

Shifting to the side, causing large clouds of sands to shoot up in the air, Cooper used his Vulcan shield to shoot down the helicopters. One of them had its entire rotor blade shot off and some flames to ignite causing it to spiral out of control before crashing on the ground with a loud explosion.

"We lost Green-1! I repeat, we lost Green-1."

"Keep it at Green-3. We have our orders to engage the enemy so we'll follow it to the last letter. The enemy may have some mean weapons but that doesn't mean anything if they can't hit us. We have the advantage."

The combat aerial units swerved around when a huge torrent of electric lead came right at them. Dancing around the lead storm, they unleashed more rockets at them causing Cooper to use his Vulcan shield to block the warheads coming his way. When the rockets made contact with the shield, a large black cloud engulfed the entire unit making the ZAFT combat teams wonder if they finally took down the infamous CGUE.

"Hey did we get him?" asks one pilot.

"I think we did. Even if the unit is outfitted with crazy tech, there's no way an entire mech can survive such a barrage with just a Vulcan shield. We're not dealing with an EA prototype after all." answered another.

"Well, looks like we took one major problem off our backs. One big fish fried next two to go. Out next target is the-"

The third pilot was not able to finish what he was saying because electric lead tore through the cockpit, killing everybody on board the helicopter before exploding in a fiery ball. Another unlucky helicopter was taken out with explosive shells, causing it to erupt in a bigger fiery ball.

The smoke dissipated showing an unharmed unit to the enemy. "Who said I was out of the fight? You guys better check to make sure you confirmed the kill before you move on to your next target. Rule number one in Combat 101 handbook."

He unleashed two more shells right at another unit before the aerial vehicle met the same fate as the other two that Cooper destroyed. While reloading his armament, a green emerald flew in the night air, tearing a clean line through the helicopter before erupting in an orange fireball.

"Tango down. You should've switched to your secondary offensive armament there, Cooper. That chopper could've easily landed a clean shot at you."

He chuckles behind his helmet before lifting the modified anti-aircraft shotgun on the shoulder plate. Without even looking, he fires three consecutive shots from the weapon before causing helicopter to be destroyed in the air. "You were saying Rena?"

She rolls her eyes at the mercenary. "Show off. Now quit playing around and get back to business. We still have a few more teams to stop before they can focus their attention on the _Archangel_."

"Loud and clear. Oh and how may have you taken down, Rena? Because right now, I'm at seven."

"Three since I destroyed the one that was about to take you down had you been paying attention."

"Then that means you're lagging behind. Come on, we have a couple more annoying flies in the air to swat. First one to get the highest amount of helicopters destroyed buy the other two drinks. Sounds fair?"

He saw her smile in the video screen. "Who am I to deny a friendly competition? Bring it on."

"Glad we're on the same page. May the best win."

* * *

From the distance, Andrew and Martin are observing the fight transpiring before them using their binoculars. For a lack of a better word, Commander Waltfeld is entertained at the events transpiring at the moment. Like the combat footage from the reports given from Rau, the custom CGUE is definitely an interesting machine. The mobile suit displayed the gravitational shield ability twice when the attack teams fired everything they have at their disposal and throwing it back at them, taking down two of them with ease.

The machine also utilized the electrical bullets from the CGUE's Vulcan shield instead of the normal APSV rounds loaded within the armament. Although such a small detail would not be considered amazing like the blue shield the machine utilized in combat, they are quite deadly and not to be underestimated.

Especially if you use it against mobile suits equipped with Phase Shift Armor like the Strike for instance.

Although the abilities are quite amazing to see in person, Andrew noticed something in the custom high-performance mobile suit. The machine seems to be moving around the desert sand without any issues unlike the machines launched from the _Archangel_.

Namely the Strike and what he assumes to be a mass-produced model of the prototype.

Unlike those two machines who are struggling to get themselves accustomed to the surface after fighting in space for quite a while, the CGUE does not seem to have such an issue. In fact, the mobile suit looks as though it was designed for both space and ground combat if the movements displaying before him have anything to indicate.

Looking away from the CGUE, he shifts his attention to the Strike. The Morgenroete prototype Le Creuset and his team tried to destroy back in Heliopolis and space but failed to do so. Just like the reports from the man, the machine is truly a beauty and a deadly one to boot. Made to fight in every combat scenario thanks to the equipment installed for it, he witnesses the machine seems to be struggling a bit in getting a grip on the sandy surface. Not the ferocity it shows from the combat footage given by the masked commander.

If he were to be honest, he is a bit disappointed at its performance. He was hoping to see more from the prototype but he will hold his reservations for now. Perhaps the pilot of the mobile suit may change his line of thinking.

For the last one, the Strike look alike, he never expected the Earth Forces to be so quick in mobilizing their own mobile suits. Especially a unit derived from the Strike's technical information. He knows the Earth Alliance is making some headway in their mobile suit technology to counter their own suits but he never expected it to be so soon. He will have to file that later in his report.

Still, despite their performance in battle, he views this as a warm up. Shooting helicopters from the sky is nothing more than target practice. He needs to give them a real challenge otherwise he might disappoint them with a boring one.

And he is not one to do so for it is not the Watfeld way.

"Sir! The legged ship deployed its mobile suits. The GAT-X105 Strike and the custom CGUE are there but I never heard any reports about a unit bearing a resemblance to the prototype." reports Martin.

"Must be a mass-produced model judging by the mobile suit's appearance. Looks like the EA is making some real headway into their program if they're sending one in the field."

Before Martin can say anything, he immediately got a report from one of the helicopter teams flying over at the battlefield.

"What?! They're gone?"

Andrew looks down, confused about his sudden reaction. "What seems to be the matter?"

"I got a report from Orange Team that Blue Team is already wiped out. They along with Gray Team are the only ones left in the field."

"I see. Order them to retreat since they've done their part. Now, we're heading in for the second phase of the mission. DaCosta, bring out the BuCUEs."

"Entire squads or just one?"

"Send out two teams. Who you pick doesn't matter but I want to see how they fare against them. Time to see how they handle mobile suits meant for ground warfare."

"Yes sir." Getting on the walkie-talkie, he relays his orders to the two BuCUE Teams. "Teams Roland and McLarson, this is DaCosta. You two are ready for deployment."

Just as he sent them their orders, immediately two teams of six BuCUEs leapt over them before heading over to the battlefield.

* * *

After taking care of the helicopter, Cooper looks over to see Rena taking out another one. Kira, who was somewhat able to maneuver the Strike, assisted in taking out helicopters using the combat weapons pod. This armament consists of an anti-ship Vulcan gun and a pair of gun launchers installed in armament, which is mounted on the right shoulder of the mobile suit.

"How many is that?" asks the Militia pilot.

"Ten. What about you?"

He grins at her. "Twelve. Looks like I win. Now you'll just have to buy me two drinks. Whatever you pick doesn't matter because I'll still take it."

"Heh. Well in that case-"

Whatever Rena had to say was cut off as a big cloud of sand is making its way to them. Before any of them can react, immediately, twelve dog-like machines came rushing towards them like a bull ready to skewer a matador. Immediately they started to unleash missile barrages and railgun shots at them causing the entire desert field to erupt in a huge sand cloud. Cooper fired a couple shots from the modified anti-aircraft shotgun, attempting to get a hit on any one of them but the shots were way off thanks to the speed the machines are running at.

"What the? What the hell are those-"

Cooper and BT were immediately knocked stopped as one of the dog-like machines landed a hit on them using the dual railgun while another knocked them off their feet as it barged into them. Getting up again, another one came from behind, hitting them square on the back before regrouping together.

" **Cooper! Are you alright?** "

Groaning, Cooper has BT get up from the ground before looking back at the regrouped ZAFT machines. "Yeah I'll be fine. Tossed around but not gravely injured. Still, what the hell are those things?"

" **Scanning…** " Taking a scan on the machines before them, BT reports back to him. " **Those machines are designed as the TMF/A-802 BuCUE. Apparently, this is one of ZAFT's land-only machines made for ground combat.** "

"Great. Fast moving bastards."

" **I advise using caution against these BuCUEs. These mobile suits are fast due to its quadruped design allowing them to roam around the battlefield with ease. They can also utilize the treads behind each leg to make themselves transform into a tank mode. We have to be accurate with our shots if we ever hope to paint a lock-on.** "

"Noted. They've gotten the jump on us I'll give them that, but that's as far as I'll let them get a free hit. It's time to show these ZAFT hotshots why picking a fight with me is a bad idea."

" **Very well Cooper. Ronin loadout activated. Phase Dash and Arc Wave ready for combat usage. Sword Core now active.** "

"Alrighty then. Let's get this party started."

"Cooper!"

He looks over to Rena. "Yeah, what is it?"

"I don't know if you know this already but we're facing ZAFT's-"

"BuCUEs. Ground combat vehicles that are quite speedy thanks to their four-legged design. BT already gave me the details on these baddies. Why?"

"Since BT already gave you the summary of those machines, I'm just here to warn you that you mustn't overestimate them. Those pilots, while not as highly experienced as either you or myself, can easily overwhelm us. Be careful when you deal with them."

He gives her the usual thumbs-up. "I know. BT already told me to be cautious so I get the memo. Still, I think we'll be just fine. I don't know about Kira though."

"I'll be fine Jack. They may be fast but I can manage." said Kira.

"So you say, but you're struggling to get yourself firm on the ground. You sure you can handle them at the current state you're in?"

The teenager gives Cooper a nod. "I'm pretty sure. If I need help, I'll just give you a call. How's that sound?"

"Fine by me but if I see you getting swarmed by those guys, I'm coming over to kick their ass. Whether you called me or not. Understand?"

"Sounds fair."

Getting ready to face their opponents, the two BuCUE teams immediately split up into three teams of four. Four BuCUEs immediately corner Jack and BT in a square formation, two armed with dual railguns mounted on the back while the other two have the missile launchers.

"Heh, looks like you weren't tough after all. I was expecting a lot from you, mystery pilot, but it seems to me that we're too much for you to handle." taunted one pilot manning a missile launcher BuCUE.

Cooper, however, did not the jab get to him. "You caught me by surprise, I'll give you that son…but that'll be the last time you'll get a free shot at me. Your little warm up now over, let's see how well you do against a _real_ pilot."

Taking out the broadsword, Cooper activates the Phase Dash, vanishing before his enemies. The act simply not only stupefied the BuCUE pilots but also the crew members of the _Archangel_ , Kira and Rena.

"D-did Cooper just vanish in front of us?" asks Kira from the Strike.

Rena, who is having a hard time believing it, rubs her eyes to make sure she is not hallucinating. When she did, the mercenary pilot is still not present with them. "I think he did. As much as I want to believe my eyes are playing with me, he actually disappeared."

All of a sudden, the Militia duo appeared right behind the enemy pilot with the broadsword shining underneath the moonlight. The custom CGUE slashed the BuCUE's two legs with clean swipes before slicing off the missile launcher. Once the pesky armament is off the machine, he impales the quadruped machine straight down the middle of the frame. Yanking the broadsword, he shifts to the side before the doomed unit exploded in a huge fiery blaze.

Using the anti-aircraft shotgun, he aims right at the other BuCUE armed with another missile launcher, firing three consecutive shots before unleashing a barrage of tracker rockets right at the damaged unit, destroying it with ease.

He then faces the last remaining two BuCUEs that were cornering him before with a smug grin on his face. "You may be quick, but I'm quicker. You'll have to try better than using speed to take me down. I have a lot of tricks up in my sleeve that I'd like to show all of you so don't blink. You just might miss it."

A pilot manning a BuCUE with dual railguns gritted his teeth in anger at the audacity the enemy pilot getting all cocky. "Okay, you want real firepower? Well you're gonna get some. Let's show this bastard how we pilots under Commander Waltfeld deal with their enemies in the desert!"

"Got that right!"

Cooper rolls his neck around, loosening the stiffness around it before getting his groove on. "Then bring it on boys. Bring it on because you might not make it out here alive this night."

The BuCUEs immediately dashed around the sand using their tank mode configuration. Cooper dashes to the side when he spots some incoming railgun shots barreling right at him. Using the sword to block the shots, he dashes to the side before firing a sonar lock on the ground, painting the entire battlefield orange while gaining a partial lock-on on the two BuCUEs.

Dashing to the side, he fires a few shots straight at the two quadruped machines, missing a few shots here and there due to the speed the mobile suits are moving. Using the Phase Dash, he goes on the flank, hitting the BuCUE with two more shots before unleashing the tracking rocket barrage right at it. The BuCUE lit up the battlefield in a fiery blaze.

The remaining one from the team began firing its railguns at the custom mobile suit, hoping to take it out and avenge its lost comrades. The mobile suit used activated the Vortex Shield capturing all of the projectiles before lobbing it back to the user. The BuCUE managed to miss the incoming fire by shifting to the side but continued to lob more from the railguns.

Cooper can hear the angry pilot yelling insults at him from the comms. "Tricky son of a bitch you are! I don't care how many tricks you have up your sleeve but you're not getting away that easily! Not until I kill you and avenge my teammates!"

The Militia pilot snorts in amusement. "Really? I dusted three-fourths of your team buddy in case you haven't been reading the situation but I'd like to see you try. Speaking of trying, how about we do a little experiment? Let's see how your machine fares against an Arc Wave. I'll bet it wouldn't be able to go as fast once your machine gets hit by it."

"Huh? The fuck you talking about?!"

Not answering the angry, revenge-driven pilot, Cooper begins to calculate the BuCUE's movement. He does not want to waste the Arc Wave needlessly since he wants to see how fast a speedy unit can go once it gets hit by the electrical attack.

Figuring out approximately the exact spot the BuCUE might head to, the custom CGUE utilizes the Arc Wave by swiping the sword on the ground, unleashing an electric wave right at the moving target. As expected, the quadruped mobile suit slowed down once the mobile suit got hit by the Arc Wave.

"Huh, what do you know? It does slow down the target."

" **Cooper, this isn't the time to be noting observations in battle. While the enemy's mobile suit may be affected by the damaging effects of the Arc Wave thus slowing the unit down, it will deter him. He can still shoot at us with those dual railguns attached on its back**." reprimands BT.

"Oh come on BT, learn to have a little fun. Besides, I bet you're eager to know how a BuCUE can handle an Arc Wave once it makes contact with it."

" **As I mentioned before, Cooper, we have a mission to uphold and a battlefield like this is not an opportunity for experimentation. But to answer your question, I am fifty percent curious about the effects the BuCUE might experience when hit by an Arc Wave.** "

"See BT? You were curious after all but yeah, I agree with you. Let's finish the job before he can get a lucky shot at us."

Using the Phase Dash, the custom CGUE stood right in front of the damaged mobile suit. "Sayonara buddy. Don't take this personally, okay? This is just strictly business."

The mobile suit kicks the BuCUE a bit before unleashing a flurry of slices, cutting off the dual railguns, the front legs, and the helm unit. The broadsword immediately turns on an electric current covering the blade in electricity and in dramatic fashion, draws the sword in a circular manner before cutting it upwards.

Backing away, the doomed unit exploded, sending metal shards and parts all over the sandy floor. The smoke of the wrecked units covering the Titan turned mobile suit in an eerie shroud with the monoeye shining a bright neon blue from the black cloud.

Holstering the broadsword, Cooper takes a look at his handiwork. "Haven't used much of the Ronin loadout but I have to admit, I still got it. Four down, eight more to go." He looks over to the side to see Kira struggling to take down a single BuCUE on his side while Rena is handling herself rather well against them. Seeing her not needing any assistance, he heads over to lend the teenager a hand.

"Alright BT. Let's go help Kira out."

" **Affirmative Cooper. We must uphold Protocol Two to make sure the Archangel is safe from enemy mobile suits.** "

"Of course, BT. We'll make sure of that."

* * *

Andrew and Martin are quite blown away by the sheer performance of the mobile suit. More so with the former than the latter.

The custom CGUE pulled off another trick from its hat. The temporary vanishing ability. In just a matter of seconds when he pulled off the trick, he immediately appears right behind one of his pilots, taking it down in three simple strikes with the broadsword before impaling it right down the middle.

After taking out the first, he takes the other out with the modified anti-aircraft shotgun used by the DINN units with three shots before unleashing a rocket barrage attack.

When things begin to pick up, he watches the custom unit shoot an orange projectile from the under barrel of the modified armament on the ground. The projectile casted an orange glow around the battlefield, similar to that of sonar waves, illuminating its targets in orange. He fired two shots at one before unleashing the same rocket barrage at the third pilot.

Finally, the Desert Tiger watches in sheer fascination as the custom unit unleashes an electrical wave ability on the ground, hitting the BuCUE right on. The BuCUE slowed down thanks to the electricity frying the internal workings of the custom unit.

Yet, it is not the sheer abilities which fascinates him. Rather, his abilities to block the railgun shots flying right at him using the broadsword instead of the shield. Usually, the blade of the sword would be broken due to the sheer force of the railguns but the steel blade did not yield to the railgun blasts.

But his ability to block the shots is incredible. He may be confident in his abilities as a pilot to do certain moves but using a sword as a shield substitute and be able to stop shots from hitting your mobile suit? Takes practice, skill, and luck to be able to do what the CGUE pilot is capable of doing. Not even he can easily do such a feat.

Truly, Le Creuset is correct on his report. This unit and its pilot are on a different league than they are. If he were to fight the pilot, the fight may end up killing him in the process. Injuring him if he gets lucky.

Moving from the CGUE to the Strike, he spots the prototype struggling a bit to defeat his pilots but he is impressed to see the pilot able to have the mobile suit stand on the desert ground without sinking. The same can be said for the mass-produced model.

"Huh, will you look at that? The pilots adapted their units' motion program to cope with the desert surface in a quick manner. Makes me wonder if they're even Naturals."

"What about the custom CGUE, sir? Do you think it's piloted by a Natural or a Coordinator?" asks Martin.

He chuckles a bit before answering him. "To be honest Martin, the unit's pilot is neither manned by a Natural or Coordinator. If you want an accurate statement, the machine is piloted by a monster."

Martin looks up to him from his position, raising a confused eyebrow. "A monster sir? What makes you say that?"

"Look at the CGUE's movements, Martin. You'll see what I'm talking about."

Confused, he looks back at the fight. He spots the CGUE vanishing before the BuCUE teams attacking the mass-produced version of the Strike before appearing at their flanks. The machine smacks the BuCUE with its servo before shooting two shots at the machine before jamming the gun right in the unit. The CGUE picks up the flailing machine with its weapon, slamming it on the sand before unleashing a slew of missiles down on it, reducing the machine to nothing but shards of metal.

"I don't see where you're going at with this other than witnessing a brutal and overkill move by the custom CGUE."

Taking a sigh, he explains it to his executive officer. "The machine's movements are on a different level. Sure, at first glance, it may look like the mobile suit is piloted by a Coordinator due to its smooth mobility around the battlefield. I thought the pilot was an ex-ZAFT soldier but after observing it more closely, I realized I was wrong with my assumption."

"What do you mean you were wrong, sir? I don't seem to get it."

"The machine's mobility mimic's moves done by a human hence why you see smooth, free-flowing mobility. The mobile suit acts as an armored extension of the human pilot. I can see why Rau and his team, along with the Harken Team, couldn't win against the custom CGUE. Even us Coordinators can't make our mobile suits act in such a similar manner or develop technology to make our machines move like this one. There's certainly more to the machine-pilot duo than meets the eye. I really want to know what makes that CGUE tick."

He takes off the binoculars from his eyes. "If I were to fight the CGUE pilot myself, I can guarantee you, I won't be able to win. Even though I haven't fought the pilot, the way he fights makes me look like a rookie who just graduated from pilot training camp. I'll be lucky if I was able to get out of the fight alive and unharmed."

Hearing his commanding officer say such a statement makes Martin troubled. If the pilot in the custom high-performance mobile suit is capable of making him say such a claim, then he truly is a skilled opponent. All the more reason to scout whatever information they can scavenge from the mystery pilot and make some plans to counter the pilot before something disastrous can take place.

Perhaps the mercenary who goes by the codename Viper can be the solution to their problem but until then, they will have to continue observing the fight and collect the data needed for future engagements.

* * *

From the other side of the battlefield, Davis and Droz are watching the fight unfold before them in their cockpits. To the Last Resort mercenaries, the fight looks like a simulation run. Even if it was a real-life battlefield, the fight is nothing special.

Sure, the BuCUEs are fast but a Titan pilot is trained to adjust their tactics and movements when dealing with enemy pilots specializing in different combat strengths. Cooper and BT adjusted and the results are as they expect.

A lot of ass whooping and name taking.

"Man, will you look at that! Homeboy Cooper sure knows how to use the Ronin loadout. Bet those ZAFT guys didn't expect him to pull a fast one on them when using the Phase Dash."

Droz nods his head, continuing to assess their fight. "You said it Davis. I'm also quite sure those guys are equally stupefied when they saw him use the Arc Wave. I bet he's having a blast at how easy the fight is."

"Wouldn't be surprised since he took lessons from the late Captain Lastimosa, God bless his soul. The guy must've seen some sort of potential in him in being a pilot instead of wasting his life being a rifleman and he sure is right. Still, for a rifleman that got field promoted to pilot by the late captain, he's pretty good. Wouldn't mind hiring him to the Last Resort if he wishes to make more out of his piloting career."

"Usually I'd be hesitating about the decision but seeing how he was able to take down the Apex Predators all by himself, save for Blisk, and piloting a Titan in actual combat instead of simulations, I'll definitely agree with you. Still, we can't forcefully hire him without him having a say."

"True, but it'd be nice to have him join the Last Resort crew. Speaking of combat, did you see how he's wrecking it with the Tone loadout? Man, he's good at making magic with whatever he has at his disposal."

"I can hear the jealousy coming out of you because he's doing way better at using a loadout you're familiar with than you."

The comedian, or say Davis claims he is, whines at the jab directed at him. "Hey! I take offense to that! I bet you Cooper hasn't figured out how a couple neat tricks in utilizing the Tone loadout."

"That's because there's really nothing to learn from that loadout other than shoot, paint lock-ons, and unleash a tracking rocket barrage at the enemy. If you take a hit, then activate the Particle Wall. Want to conserve shots, use the Sonar Lock to paint a partial lock-on and use two shots from the Tracker Cannon to paint the rest before unleashing the same barrage. Need I say anymore, Davis?"

"Man, you just love ruining someone's fun don't you, Droz?"

"I'm just stating facts Davis. Not ruining somebody's fun. There's a difference."

"Whatever. Anyways, when do you think we'll be heading down there and join in on the fun?"

Droz looks at the battlefield for a moment before answering Davis. "We'll wait for it. I highly doubt two teams of BuCUEs will do the job for this engagement. Especially if the Desert Tiger wants to test out the _Archangel_ and her crew."

"You sure about that?"

"Positive. Now let's sit back and relax. I'll tell you when we should ready up."

* * *

Back in the battlefield, things are turning better for the _Archangel_ 's mobile suit pilots. Right now, the twelve BuCUEs that originally came to the battlefield are reduced down to three. Although Kira has the Strike stabilized on the sandy ground, and was able to take one down with his Agni launcher, the other three are giving him a tough time in the fight.

Thankfully, Cooper arrived just in time to kick one away from the young boy before firing a couple shots from the anti-aircraft shotgun to stave them off. The BuCUEs made some distance between themselves and the _Archangel_ 's units.

Jack turns to Kira who is sweating up a storm underneath his helmet. No doubt it is due to the stress of having to face faster opponents than the mass-produced GINNs up in space. "You okay there son?" asks Cooper.

"Yeah. I'll be fine but dammit. I wasn't able to take one of them down. I'm wasting my shots needlessly and my batter power is already depleted down to 40%. Anymore shots, the Strike is done for."

"Well it's a good thing I'm here to make sure you don't needlessly waste more shots." He then turns to the remaining three BuCUEs. "Alright I'll say this once, pack up and leave. You lost this fight."

One of the pilots grits his teeth as he readies his machine for another run. "You think I'll take that from you, fucker?! I don't know what you did to that CGUE but in the desert, the BuCUEs are still king of ground wafare!"

"Pfft, king of ground warfare? I highly doubt that. I mean, come on man! Have you seen what we did to your buddies over there? They tried to kill us but look what happened to them. They've been reduced to ashes. Now unless you want to die so needlessly, I suggest you beat it."

Suddenly, a large rumbling noise could be heard from the distance as a large sand cloud is picking up from behind. Suddenly, another team of four BuCUEs showed up to reinforce the remaining three.

The pilot grins at him from the video screen. "As we said before, we're not gonna beat it. Now that we have reinforcements on our side, we can easily smoke you guys from your high horse. Now let's rumble!"

Cooper frowns behind his helmet, already hating these persistent, stubborn bastards. "Jeez, these guys are annoying as hell. Do they really think more reinforcements will help them win the fight?"

" **Considering the circumstances Cooper, they will not take no as an answer. The only way we can convince them that fighting is futile is to simply defeat them in battle.** "

"Fair enough I guess. Let's just get this fight over and done with so I can get back to Murrue. I'd rather spend time with her than these guys."

" **Cooper, you have been in Captain Ramius' company for about 5 hours. I do not believe such a duration of time without contact is considered a long time.** "

He shakes his head at his AI partner. There are just some things a Titan AI cannot, and perhaps will not understand when it comes to love. "Never mind BT. Let's just get this fight over and done with."

" **A sentiment I completely agree on.** "

Before the three can engage the reinforcements, a loud, familiar holler can be heard from his cockpit. A holler he can recall from his tour in Typhon.

"Yeehaw! Time to rumble in the jungle, Droz!"

"You said it Davis. Let's get down to business."

Immediately two mobile suits emerged charging right at the BuCUEs from the side. A Duel Dagger and a Buster Dagger carrying a minigun to be precise. The Buster Dagger begins to spin its minigun before riddling one BuCUE with many holes. The machine sinks down to the ground before exploding in a fiery ball of glory.

Droz immediately looks over to the second one who begins to move around the sand, firing its railguns right at the machine. Activating the Gun Shield to protect itself, Droz continuously hammers the Predator Cannon, firing the drum magazine dry. Some of the bullets nailed the legs causing it to stumble around the sand. Taking this chance, Droz loads in a new magazine before approaching the struggling machine. Swiping the quadruped machine up with the Predator Cannon, the Last Resort member pumps some lead into the machine without mercy before throwing it to the side like a pile of trash. Not a second later after it hits the sand, the second BuCUE implodes to its doom.

Seeing his brother-in-arms taking care of the enemy, Davis turns CG over to BT and Cooper.

"Yo Cooper! Let me have that Tracker Cannon. Can't let Droz have all the fun."

Without waiting for a reply, Davis grabs the anti-aircraft shotgun from BT and begins to shoot at the remaining BuCUEs with fast, yet precise accuracy. Once painting all three of them with full lock-ons, he unleashes a multiple Tracking Rocket barrage right at them, destroying their machines with ease.

Two BuCUEs remained in the fight. Before the survivors can engage them further, large cannon rounds begin to rain down around the perimeter. Everybody braced for impact as the ground around them shook with cannon rounds landing on the sandy floor, creating a sand smokescreen.

While the _Lesseps_ continuously provided the remaining BuCUEs some cover, Andrew's face appears on their screen giving out orders to retreat.

"Alright boys, fight's over. Time to head back to base. We got what we need. I don't need you two recklessly risking your lives in trying to take one of them down."

Outnumbered and outgunned, they complied with his orders. The two left turned around and retreated while their opponents are distracted. The _Lesseps_ fired a few more rounds around them before stopping to retreat back to home base.

The fight now over, Cooper looks over to the two other mobile suits who came in driving away the BuCUEs for them.

"BT. Can you do a voice pattern analysis on the two voices that we just heard? I just want to make sure I'm not hallucinating because I swear those two sound familiar to me."

" **Affirmative. Scanning voice patterns immediately.** " After running the diagnostics, BT reports to his pilot. " **After running two voice pattern diagnostics to verify the pilots in the mobile suits, my analysis confirms that those two are no other than Davis and Droz of the 6-4. It looks like we are not the only ones who are here from the Frontier.** "

"But how's that possible? I thought we're the only ones here in this timeline after the Fold Weapon's destruction?"

" **Unfortunately, I cannot provide you with a clear answer. You will have to ask them to get the full answer.** "

He takes a sigh, knowing he will have to explain this to the crew about who he truly is and where he truly comes from. It is long overdue and he did promise to the crew that he will fully explain his origins to them when things settle down. With these two 6-4 members now in the picture, there is no point in hiding it from them any longer.

Time to show the people of the Cosmic Era timeline the Frontier and the story of Jack Cooper.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Alright ladies and gentlemen, we are finally done here with this chapter. I know it has been a while since I last uploaded a chapter but fear not. I am still alive, not dead.**

 **Now before I get into details about the story, I need to give you a bit of a report about my little hiatus. I was quite busy this semester. My Human Resource class has a paper due every two weeks so you can see why I have not been uploading much about for this story. Not to mention, I am turning in a lot of projects for my computer class so it also takes a bit of my time there. Then with seven weeks done, midterms week arrive so I went into studying for them.**

 **But school work is not my only reason as to why I have not uploaded this chapter in a while. I am sure all of you readers out there know of the game called Apex Legends. If not, it is basically a battle royale game based on the Titanfall universe but people can pick characters, or legends as they are called, with certain abilities to help win the match. I have been sinking some hours into the game and I have to admit, for a person not a fan of battle royale, it is quite solid.**

 **Granted, it is not the Titanfall game I or any of the Titanfall fans wanted but you have to at least be proud of Respawn for releasing a successful game. I definitely am. Now** **you have to understand, the Titanfall series is an underrated one due to the fact that nobody has even heard of it. The Titanfall community is small compared to the Triple-A shooters out there like Call of Duty and Battlefield. Apex Legends is the game that saved the Titanfall franchise and thanks to it, the Titanfall 2 servers saw an increase in gamer population. People are now starting to look into the Titanfall universe thanks to Apex Legends and for that, you have to give your applause to Respawn.**

 **Will there be a Titanfall 3 or a sequel to Titanfall 2? Not at the moment since Respawn is working on a Star Wars game called Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order but hopefully, and fingers crossed, we can have a Titanfall sequel.**

 **Now let us focus back on the story. Now as you know, I will do a bit of a change into the story. Remember when I mentioned to you that we will have the Frontier War come in to this story? Well yeah...I decided to change my mind on it. I will not be having the entire Frontier War come to the Cosmic Era throughout the entire story. They will appear later but for now, let us put that idea in the shelf. We have a set of characters that will be placed into this story that will make the entire Cosmic Era interesting. I know you want to have the entire Frontier War jump in but I think we will see that later.**

 **Anyways that is the little tidbit I have to say. Hope you guys enjoy the chapter and I will see you later!**


	14. Hiatus Notice!

**Hiatus A/N:**

 **I know you guys are waiting for a new chapter of my Gundam SEED - Titanfall 2 crossover but lately school stuff has been piling up on me. I haven't even had the chance to write because of papers, finals and what not. I am working on this chapter as we speak but at the moment, this story will be put on freeze because of school obligations. Do please understand that college stuff is not easy, especially when you have two weeks of the semester left before finals.**

 **I just wanted to update you guys on what is happening so do not fret if you think I have abandoned the story. Wish me luck!**


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

 **A/N:**

 **Hey ladies and gentlemen, this is your author, Giriko-99 here. I know I have not been able to upload a new chapter in this story because of school obligations are kicking me around like some soccer ball but here it is as I promised.**

 **To get a little recap going on, the** _ **Archangel**_ **crew is able to defend themselves against Andrew Waltfeld's little welcoming committee thanks to Cooper, Kira, and Rena. Davis and Droz, ex 6-4 members, appeared in the fray, kicking butt as usual with their own respective Titans. Cooper thought he and BT are the only ones from the Frontier War to ever make it to the Cosmic Era verse, but it seems he is mistaken on his assumption.**

 **Cooper did indeed make a promise to the** _ **Archangel**_ **crew members about his origins but due to ZAFT relentlessly trying to take them out in space, he never had the time to fully divulge the details to them.**

 **We also have the famous, or infamous depending on your perspective, ex 6-4 members Davis and Droz. When additional reinforcements arrived, the two mercenaries did not want to miss out on the fun so they appeared on the field to kick some ass. Thanks to their sudden welcome party, Cooper knows he cannot keep the crew waiting any longer. Not only has his tricks surprised most of the crew members but the appearance of the eccentric duo made him realize he cannot hide his origins from them any longer.**

 **Now it is time for the Cosmic Era people to look into the Frontier. As for how Cooper will display the Frontier to them…well…you will see. Anyways, enough chatter, let us get straight to it!**

 **Disclaimer:**

 **Legend:**

 **Hello – BT-7274 Speaking**

 _ **Hello**_ **– Thoughts, or flashback.**

 **Hello** **– Radio communications, news media outlet.**

 **Disclaimer: Titanfall belongs to Respawn Entertainment while Gundam SEED belongs to Sunrise and directed by Mitsudo Fukuda.**

* * *

 _Jack Davidson Cooper's Log Book 4.2_

 _Hmm…how do I start here? Surprise? Shocked? Stunned? Perplexed? Confused? There are so many words swimming through my mind that I can't even pick one to describe the feelings I'm currently going through._

 _But seriously, the last thing I expected is a visit from Davis and Droz. I seriously thought BT and I were the only ones in this timeline. I wouldn't expect them to be here of all places, but it does make me wonder, how the hell did they get here in the first place._

 _Did the IMC perhaps gain another Fold Weapon in their disposal after the destruction of the first one? Or perhaps their science teams found something similar during their scientific explorations or something greater than the Fold Weapon?_

 _But if they're here in this neck of the galaxy, then could it be possible other Militia units or Militia-affiliated mercenaries established their presence here? Or could they be laying down low?_

 _So many questions I have yet little answers in my disposal. I'll have to ask those two when I'm done explaining to the crew where we originally come from._

 _Speaking of which, Murrue and the crew are gonna have a field day once I'm done with my explanation. The reactions are gonna be priceless but it does make me a bit worried._

 _I know I can trust the Archangel's crew to make sure they keep a secret but I can't say the same for the entire EA. Call it a hunch, but I have a feeling they'll kill me and extract data from BT to create their own Titan mobile suits to gain the upper hand in this war of theirs. The contract may say I can't give out any sensitive info to them on a whim but those guys won't give a damn if my experience in the Artemis has anything to say. They'll do whatever they can to get BT's data, even if it means playing dirty._

 _But I won't let that happen. Not while I'm alive and kicking. Captain Lastimosa entrusted BT to me and asked to take care of him in his final hours. I'll follow it to the last letter, even if it means betraying the EA. BT saved my ass many times and I can't and will not ditch him. Doing so is an ultimate betrayal and I'd rather kill myself than hand him over._

 _Jack Cooper, Pilot of BT-7274, 41st Militia Rifle Battalion._

* * *

The morning sun hovers over the blue clear skies of the African desert. All is calm for the weary _Archangel_ crew and her pilots after a night full of fighting Andrew Waltfeld's BuCUE squads. The scattered mobile suit parts, chunks of metal, and five standing mobile suits speaks volumes about the night fight.

Roaming around the ground are trucks carrying the Desert Dawn members. Most of them are looking up at the majestic _Archangel_ for the first time, taking photos and notes about the ship's beauty while the few are looking at the mobile suits and the destroyed BuCUEs scattered around the ground.

Stepping from the truck, Cagalli looks up at the mobile suits standing there. She was already familiar with the GAT-X105 Strike since she has seen the schematics and the model in person when she was out snooping in the Heliopolis hangars by herself. The other two, she wasn't familiar with.

Well, I guess you can say she is not familiar with the mass-produced mobile suit that bears the resemblance of the Strike. That she was unaware of completely since she did not know the Earth Alliance is making some progress in their mobile suit technology. Then again, she should have known they would be making some progress in their program.

The CGUE, however, she is familiar with. At least design-wise, since the model is still the same only with a different color scheme and the insignias are unfamiliar to her.

But aside from aesthetics, the mobile suit obviously sets it apart from the rest of the ZAFT machines. The abilities, for one, are sheerly mind boggling. Never has she seen a machine capable of vanishing into a dimension of some sort before appearing right behind those BuCUEs. Not to mention, the electrical bullets, the magnetic shield, the electrical wave from the broadsword, and the orange sonar are indeed something to look into. She wanted to know how such a pilot can easily have those in his arsenal but if the pilot is anything like the two mercenaries she worked with, then convincing him will be a difficult task.

The mobile suit's abilities, however, did not only amaze her. She was quite surprised the mobile suit is able to move around the sandy dunes instead of being stuck like the other two mechs. The mobility matches that of a human being. At first, she thought the pilot is a Coordinator but she immediately retracts it once she and the others in the Desert Dawn observed the custom CGUE fight.

Kisaka approaches her as she continues to look up at the custom CGUE with scrutiny. "Cagalli, what seems to be the matter?"

Startled a bit from her bodyguard's sudden appearance, she composes herself immediately. "W-well I was just observing the CGUE. That's all. Nothing really."

Obviously, Kisaka does not buy the excuse as he gives her a knowing look. "Cagalli, you and I know that's not true. After all, we all observed the custom ZAFT mobile suit fight against the Desert Tiger's forces so surely that's not what's bugging you at the moment."

The blonde tomboy knew she cannot fool him as expected of him. Taking a sigh, she gives him the truth. "Well I guess there's no use in lying. I just can't help but be baffled at how a machine is able to perform such abilities on the battlefield. I definitely know both the EA and ZAFT aren't capable of creating those abilities since they don't have the technology to do such things. And the mobility of the CGUE? It's like an armored extension of the human person. Coordinator pilots may be skilled but even they haven't developed a program to allow a mobile suit movement mimic human mobility down to a T."

"So you're thinking the CGUE's pilot is like Davis and Droz?"

She just shrugs at him. "It's possible but who knows? We'll just have to wait and see. Still, I just hope the pilot isn't a smartass as the two stooges. The last thing I need are three stooges cracking jokes left right and center and making my life a living hell."

The man shakes his head, amused at Cagalli's statement. "You're overreacting. I'm sure he or she would be a reasonable and cool-headed pilot."

"So you say but if I'm correct, I'm just saying I told you so."

Kisaka just shrugs at her, not offering anything more into the conversation. While the members of Desert Dawn celebrated another victory against the Desert Tiger's forces, Cooper took off his helmet to take a breather. Parting some of his hair to the side, he uses the cockpit's cameras to take a closer look at the motely guerilla group.

"Huh will you look at this, a guerilla group. Kinda reminds me of the Militia's humble beginning as they begin fighting against the IMC."

" **Affirmative on such a statement Cooper. This guerilla group is known as the Desert Dawn according to my scans. Their leader is Sahib Ashman and their goal is to drive out ZAFT Forces from the entire African continent which is under Commander Andrew Waltfeld's control.** "

"That ambitious huh?"

" **Yes. I believe this is where 6-4 members, Davis and Droz come into play.** "

"Well I guess with those two in the picture, they're probably making some progress in getting him and his forces out of their backyard."

Back in the _Archangel_ 's bridge, Admiral Halberton along with Murrue and Natarle are looking at the screen right at the Desert Dawn and the two mobile suits accompanying the guerilla group.

"Looks like the resistance just got here on time. And they brought in some muscle too if their mobile suits have anything to say about it." says Admiral Halberton.

Natarle turns her attention to the two officers with an inquisitive look on her face. "Would you consider them allies, Captain Ramius, Admiral Halberton?"

Captain Ramius looks at them for a minute before answering. "They're not pointing their guns at us so the least we can do is talk to them. If we're fortunate, this may go well in our favor."

She gets up from her seat before turning to Natarle. "You'll be in charge while I'm down there." Then looking up to Admiral Halberton, "Would you like to join me meet with the resistance forces?"

He nods to her. The two went left the _Archangel_ 's bridge via the lift. As it takes them down to the hangar, Admiral Halberton decides to break the ice.

"At the end of the battle, I cannot help but wonder about the two pilots that assisted us last night."

"You mean the Duel and Buster Daggers that came out of nowhere?"

"Yes. I wonder if Cooper knows them specifically. Judging by the way they interacted with him, it sounds like they worked with him before he became a contractor for the _Archangel_ and her crew."

She sighs a bit that. "Knowing his field of work, I wouldn't be surprised if he has some contacts from his group. Still...after last night, however, the abilities he displayed before us makes me all the more curious about where he's from."

This tidbit catches Admiral Halberton's attention. "Where he's originally from? Care to elaborate more on it?"

"Back in Heliopolis while we were getting the Launcher Pack for the Strike, Cooper told me specifically that he wasn't from around here. I thought he was joking about it but looking at his pilot uniform, BT, and his mech's abilities…well…I can see why he said that to me. He actually promised me that he'll tell the crew about his origins but never had the time to do it thanks to our current situation back in space with ZAFT chasing us and all."

The man nods in understanding.

"Still, I truly wonder where he and his companions are from to be able to construct such abilities. I really want to know more about him…"

Halberton, however, seems to go against the idea of pressuring the Militia pilot to spill his guts to them. He may have promised her back in Heliopolis to tell his origins to them but placing quite a lot of pressure will lessen his trust to them.

"But as you know, Cooper's contract did say that he cannot divulge any information that he consideres it to be classified. Pressuring him to do so isn't advisable. He'd be wearier of us than trusting and that is the last thing we would want as we make our way to Alaska." Halberton warns her.

"Yes, I know but he did promise me he'll tell the entire crew about his origins."

"Be it as it may, it's up to him whether he wants to share us some classified knowledge or keep it to himself."

The elevator doors parted to the side allowing the two to step out. Rushing by them are three Earth Alliance soldiers armed with rifles and Mu loading his service pistol in with a fresh magazine. Luckily, Halberton and Murrue brought their service pistols with them before stepping in the airlock.

Mu takes a sigh before looking at both officers. "Geez, I'm not so good with this situation. Seriously, this isn't my shtick. These fighters look quite scary if you ask me."

"Perhaps so, but we must try to communicate with them in a way that won't let the resistance view us as another enemy on their list. Be calm but stay alert."

The doors parted allowing the sunlight to shine through the airlock. Murrue gives the soldiers an order before they go over to meet with the resistance group. "Stay here and don't fire a single shot unless a threat arises. Understand?"

"Yes ma'am!"

The three went over to meet up with the Desert Dawn members. Just then, the two mobile suits that were with the _Archangel_ 's mobile suits that night moved up a bit before going on their knees with their fists on the sand. The cockpit doors hissed open before the pilots hopped off their respective machines. Just like Cooper, the two pilots wore similar a similar get up only they are a bit more armored than Cooper. Their helmets differ from each other with one wearing an X-shaped visor helmet while the other has four glowing dots on it. Both of them have the numbers 6 and 4 plastered next to each other.

Once the pilots got off their respective machines, the one wearing the X-shaped visor helmet stretched himself before placing an arm over his colleague's shoulder. "Ah nothings beats anything but a good stretch. Am I right Droz?"

Droz cracks his knuckles and rolled his neck. You can hear the cracks and pops before looking over to his partner. "You said it Davis. Although those cockpits are more spacious than what we're used to, it's nice to walk around and stretch to loosen the stiffness."

"Still, is it me or is the sand dragging me down?"

"I think its you Davis. This isn't quicksand, these are dunes."

"But you can still sink bro! Sure, dunes aren't as fast as quicksand but you can still sink if you're not watchin' your step!"

Sahib clears his throat before looking at the two mercenaries he hired. "If you two are done goofing around, we have business to attend."

Davis just chuckles while Droz just stayed shrugged. "Ah right. Hehehe sorry about that boss man! We're just making sure the sand doesn't bring us all the way down to who-knows-where." The fun-loving mercenary rubs the back of his helmeted head.

The man sighs tiredly before turning his attention, muttering about pain the ass mercenaries before turning his attention back to the three crew members. Murrue clears her throat before addressing Sahib.

"I guess it's proper for us to do is to thank you for saving us last night against the Desert Tiger's forces. I'm Murrue Ramius of Earth Alliance Eighth Fleet."

"And I'm Admiral Duane Halberton, head of the Eighth Fleet as well."

Everybody in the Desert Dawn were silently murmuring about the news of the Eighth Fleet's demise. One of the younger guerrillas in the Desert Dawn cocks his head in confusion as he looks right at the two officers before them.

"The Eighth Fleet? Weren't they completely wiped out in space?"

Murrue and Duane frowned a bit at the news, not wishing to be reminded of that tragic event. Sahib, seeing the reaction, raises up his hand, silencing the entire crew.

"We are the Desert Dawn." He then points his thumb to himself. "I'm Sahib Ashman, their leader. My two mercenaries here are Davis and Droz. Little introductions to the side, there's no need for you to thanks us. I'm sure you know we weren't necessarily fighting them just to save you guys. We're only attacking a common enemy that we both have to deal with."

Mu was quite surprised to hear them fighting against Waltfeld's crew. "You guys been fighting the Desert Tiger for quite some time eh? How's it going for you guys at the moment?"

Sahib blinks for a moment before looking right at the blonde mobile armor pilot. "Now that I looked at you, I remembered recognizing you from somewhere…"

"Name's Mu la Flaga. I don't know anybody around this part of town though I'm quite surprised you guys knew me."

The grizzled man grins a tiny bit. "Heh, who would've thought the famous Hawk of Endymion be visiting this part of Africa, much less me meeting you in person? I guess I should've dressed a bit nicer if I'd known you be joining us here."

The blonde pilot gives a full hearty laugh. "Ah its fine really. I'm not an A-List celebrity anyways so you don't need to dress up all fancy just to meet me."

"You seem to be well-informed about us, Mr. Ashman. What else do you know?" asks Duane.

He looks up to the white Earth Alliance vessel. "We did a little bit of homework to know who our guests are. Your nice ship right there is the _Archangel_ , right? You were chased down by the Le Creuset Team in space but you ultimately escaped them once you reached Earth."

Sahib then turns his attention to the mobile suits right gathered around the _Archangel_. "That right there is the GAT-X105 Strike and next to the prototype is a Strike-look alike mobile suit. Although I don't know anything about the latter, the former…well…one of my charges knows the schematics of the mech."

He then looks over to the custom CGUE unit that caught his and the rest of the Desert Dawn's attention. "And of course, a customized ZAFT ZGMF-515 CGUE that's piloted by a person known by my two contractors. That machine is quite…interesting to say the least. Especially with its stellar performance last night."

The blonde-haired girl next to Sahib mutters in disgust as she looks at the Strike in revulsion. "The Strike is a new mobile weapon prototype by the Earth Forces."

Sahib nods his head to her. "Anyways, it's good to know who you are and you knowing us but we were surprised to see such a source of disaster land here. I can only assume you picked this spot by accident but I'm curious to know what you plan to do now."

"Can we count on your cooperation?" asks a hopeful Murrue.

He just smirks at them. "If you're serious about working together, then perhaps you should lower your guns first."

This surprised the other members of the Archangel but Sahib knew they will come here armed if there is a threat they detect. "Oh don't give me such a surprised look. I know you three came here armed the moment you greeted us. We know you'll pull the trigger at a moment's notice when there's danger around the corner."

He looks back at the mobile suits again. "Oh and before I forget, let's see the pilots. I want to know what makes them so special."

Murrue frowns a bit before sighing. She then turns to the three pilots who are still in their mobile suits. "Ensign Yamato, Pilot Cooper, and Officer Imelia. Please come down from your mobile suits immediately."

Davis looks up to BT with excitement hidden behind his helmet. "Yo BT! Open up and let's see Coop!"

BT looks down to Davis and Droz before moving up a bit to them. The guerillas stiffened up, ready to pull the trigger but Sahib calmly raises his hands to stop them from doing anything stupid.

Stopping before them, BT opens up the cockpit allowing Cooper to jump on his hand. BT lowers the hand before Cooper jumped using his jump kit's thrusters to descend down to his landing. Once he landed on the ground, he took off his helmet.

"Cooper my homie!" The poor Militia pilot was hit by two blurs with Davis on his right while Droz on his left. Davis took out the camera and took a selfie before showing it to Droz.

"Ah hell yea! Man, those guys back home are surely gonna be jealous when they see us take a photo with the Hero of Harmony himself. I feel like a fan getting an autograph from a famous celeb!"

"Sure is. Another memory down for the scrapbook."

Now this took him by surprise. Hero of Harmony? Since when did he get a title added to his name? "Wait a minute. Did you just call me Hero of Harmony?"

"Mhm you heard me correctly! I didn't stutter when I called you Hero of Harmony, Captain Cooper."

Now he is a captain?! Last time he was in Typhon, he was just field promoted to Acting Pilot for BT before Commander Briggs approved of his pilot certification during the later stages of the Battle of Typhon. "Wait, captain? When the hell did that happen? I thought I was just a pilot during Typhon?"

Droz then answered it for him. "Thanks to your actions in Typhon and taking out some of the deadliest mercenaries from the IMC, Briggs posthumously awarded you the rank. To be honest, you pretty much deserve it after saving billions of lives in Harmony."

"Oh and FYI, you just got in the SRS. If Lastimosa were alive, he would've been damn proud of you for climbing up the ladder Coop." Davis chimed in.

Although surprised to hear him getting a place in the SRS, Cooper smiles a bit sadly at the mention of his late mentor. If Lastimosa were still alive right now, he would definitely be proud of him having gotten a place in the SRS and for taking care of BT.

"Yeah. I guess he'd be proud of me for achieving much in a short amount of time."

Just then, the Strike's cockpit and the Strike Dagger's cockpit opened up, with Rena and Kira leaving their respective mobile suits. The moment the two touched the sand, the two pilots took off their helmet. Needless to say, the Desert Dawn was quite surprised to see Kira being the Strike's pilot.

"Are you serious? The kid is the mobile suit's pilot?"

"I know right? I expected an adult but never a youngster manning that thing."

"How in the world did he get that thing to move in such a short amount of time?"

While the entire Desert Dawn murmured about their surprise, Davis and Droz were not. Although pilot certification may take some time and effort to achieve to become a full-fledged pilot, there are some young aces in the Militia that are either around Kira's age or a bit older than him.

Hell, some of their trainees are a bit younger than he is by one or two years so it really it did not surprise them fully.

"What's the name of the kid, Cooper?" asks Droz.

"Kira Yamato. He's just a college student when the whole Heliopolis mess started. He's not the only one as the other kids are also college students and enlisted members of the _Archangel_. A bit sentimental at times since he's not used to war which I understand but overall, he's a good kid. Good with computer programming and other techy stuff too."

Davis looks him up and down before giving out his first impressions to Cooper. "If you ask me, kid doesn't seem impressive to me physical wise. He looks a bit scrawny to me as if he hasn't eaten a single day of his life. Doesn't even have a single ounce of muscle in him. You sure he's eating correctly, Cooper?" asks Davis.

"Kira's eating fine. Besides, we don't have much time to workout thanks to ZAFT chasing and trying to eradicate us in space."

Droz adds his two cents in. "Still, for a civie to pilot the Strike is quite impressive. Especially one that's not militarily trained. How long has the kid been fighting in that mobile suit?"

"Give or take two months. Two and a half."

Davis looks at him for a minute before looking over to his partner-in-crime. "How about we put him through the ringer, Droz? He could benefit having some muscle on his body through the pilot's gauntlet. Perhaps test his mettle through simulation combat and see if he has the guts to be one."

"I don't know, Davis. We can't ultimately force a new pilot go through pilot certification, especially one that hasn't been trained for his entire life up until now. We also need to ask permission from Cooper's superiors since we haven't made a contract with them. I wouldn't be surprised if they refused us to train the kid."

He then looks over to the Hero of Harmony. "What's your take on it Cooper? You think he needs training or is he good to go?"

The two mercenaries see a smile forming on his face. "To be quite honest, I don't think he needs to go through the pilot certification like we did. He's quite skilled in the Strike despite being a newbie to it but the moment he's on the field, he's good. Still, I believe Kira needs some refining in his fighting."

"Why's that?" asks Davis.

"While we were in space, we had to fight the Le Creuset Team which has four pilots manning the EA's prototypes. Before Rena, the pilot of the Strike Dagger, joined the crew, we had to fight them. One of my buddies, Mu takes on the Buster which is a long-range artillery support mobile suit while I take on the Blitz which is a stealth prototype machine. Usually that leaves Kira facing the Aegis and the Duel which are the other two EA machines."

"He's not used to fighting multiple opponents?" asks Droz.

"Gets overwhelmed the moment another person gets in. Even if we're not facing against those machines, he tends to panic a bit against a squad of GINNs. Sure, those guys aren't the greatest when compared to the Le Creuset Team's pilots and their machines aren't really outstanding but they can still be deadly if they're coordinated together. He's just a civie mind you and hasn't experienced combat as much as we had so it's understandable for him to feel pressured."

Everybody looked over to see the blonde girl approaching Kira with a bewildered expression plastered on her face. Everybody watched the scene unfold before them with interest and worry. Well, the _Archangel_ 's officers, Cooper, Davis and Droz with interest while the rest of the Desert Dawn with some worry.

"So Davis, Droz, who's the girl approaching Kira?"

Davis leans over to Cooper's ear. "Name's Cagalli Yula Attha. If you don't know, Cagalli is Uzumi Attha's kid."

"No wonder why she looks familiar. I knew I saw her face somewhere in the news." This made him raise an eyebrow as he looks right back at the two teenagers facing each other. "Tell me a reason why she's all the way here in Africa when she should've been in Orb."

Droz shrugs at him. "No clue to be honest. We just do our job in helping them kick out Andrew Waltfeld from Africa."

The three looked back at the two teens confronting each other. Cagalli heatedly glares at Kira. "Why…"

Kira cocks his head, a bit confused on her question. "Erm…yes? Is something the matter?"

"Why the hell are you piloting that thing?!"

She rears her fist and was about to punch him right at the face only for Kira to grab her by the wrist. She struggled a bit to escape from his grip but the teenage pilot would not release his hold knowing she will hit him again.

Davis places his hand underneath the chin piece of his helmet. "Huh, kid got some nice moves, I'll give him that."

Droz, knows that Cagalli will not back down from the Strike pilot. "Knowing her, Davis, she won't back down and will get at him one way or another."

As she continued to struggle, Kira's purple eyes immediately widened in surprise as he looked at her familiar face. The flashback of her hat flown off her head as an explosion rocked the Morgenroete facility in Heliopolis.

"Wait a minute. Now that I looked at your familiar face, you're the same person I met back at Morgenroete."

"So what?! Let go of me you bastard!"

The moment Kira relaxed his grip, she immediately yanked her fist out and backhanded him in the process. Everybody was shocked at the display before them while the three Frontier pilots knew this would happen.

Cooper palms his face, sighing at Kira's smart answer. "I should've known Kira would say something like that."

Davis just chuckles at the two. "Hehehe, there's the fiery, spunky girl we know and love."

The other mercenary looks over to his partner-in-crime. "The moment he loosens his hold, Kira gets a hit to the face. Add CQC combat to the list Davis."

"Already on it, Droz."

Sahib immediately calls the blonde tomboy back before she does anything else that would make their current allies break their cooperation with them. "Enough Cagalli. We're not here to make enemies with them if we want to win our fight against the Desert Tiger and liberate Africa."

Seeing the girl calm down, he turns to the _Archangel_ crew. "You can follow us back to our campsite. We'll figure out how we can take the Desert Tiger from there." He then looks over to the Cooper. "Oh and I believe an explanation around you along with Davis and Droz is long overdue. The abilities you displayed not only caught the enemy off guard but also surprised our crew and the _Archangel_ 's."

Before Droz can refute his boss's statement about spilling their origins, Cooper gives a nod to him, surprising the two former 6-4 members. "Sure thing. I did promise that I'll be explaining to them about our origins but now that we're in a calm situation, we can do it if it's fine with you."

Sahib just nods to him. "Sure thing. Just follow us to our base and we'll proceed business from there."

When the Desert Dawn members begin to embark on their vehicles while Mu, Murrue, Kira, Rena and Duane went back to the _Archangel_ , Droz approached Cooper, concerned about his decision.

"Are you sure this is a good idea Cooper? Showing them the Frontier and the war we're fighting in?"

"Of course, I'm sure of it. I won't divulge military secrets, sensitive information, or Titan technology and mechanics to them since it's on a need-to-know basis. I'll display the history and events that shaped our world and how it's different from this world we're currently stuck in."

He places his helmet back on his head. "Besides, my cover's been blown the moment I partook in this little conflict of theirs. They've been exposed to BT's Titan's abilities and some of my gear so it's best to sate their curiosity without showing entirely everything to them. Giving them an insight on our origins isn't the same as exposing secrets to that are classified. It's a win-win situation for us."

Hopping on to BT's hand, the Vanguard Titan places him back in the cockpit before returning to the white warship. Once the hangar closed its doors, the two mercenaries went to their respective Titans. Settled in their cockpits, they moved up to reunite with the Desert Dawn as they lead the Archangel back to their base.

* * *

Moving away from the sandy dunes of Africa, we find ourselves in the Gibraltar base. The place is bustling with activity as ZAFT soldiers are loading in munitions and supplies from cargo ships while submarines are docked at the ports with the maintenance teams repairing whatever damages they incurred during their operations.

GINNs patrol around the place making sure the enemy does not pop an attack at them. To add more security to the place, helicopters are buzzing around the sky making sure the base is clear of threats.

Inside the base, Yzak and Dearka are being contacted by Rau through one of the base's computer screens.

"I'm glad both of you landed safely to Gibraltar. I was worried something bad must have happened to you the moment you are pulled down to Earth."

Dearka just grins at his commanding officer. "Eh no worries about it boss. I guess you can say we got lucky landing in friendly territory."

"Still, you two survived quite a hectic battle."

"Well, I nearly got myself killed in that fight thanks to the CGUE's pilot."

He nods to him before getting straight to business. "Onto important matters at hand. We're unfortunate that we failed in sinking the legged ship and her mobile suits back in space. Although unintentional, we can consider this a blessing in disguise. The vessel is now a huge target for the occupational forces to deal with during their stay on Earth."

"So what your orders?"

"Remain at the Gibraltar base for now and assist the occupation forces in destroying the target." He then gives a slight smirk. "But if you do get a chance to destroy it, take it. Good luck in your mission."

Once the connection ended, Dearka just shakes his head in amusement. "Boy I didn't know he's a comedian. Is he telling us not to return to space? That he wants us to crawl around the ground with the land-based forces, search the legged ship and blow it to hell? Absurd if you ask me."

Yzak did not say anything for a minute before he begins to untie his bandages. Dearka got up from his seat, concerned about what his teammate might be doing.

"Hey take it easy Yzak. Your injury hasn't been healed yet. The doc told you to keep it on."

"I could care less what the damn doctor told me." Throwing it to the side, his eyes started to twitch in anger. "Still, I can't help but be a bit offended at what Commander Le Creuset told us. If we get the chance? For damn sure we'll get the chance. I'll be the one to destroy them once and for all, even if it'll kill me in the process. They better watch their back from here on out."

Yzak left the room as he heads back to his quarters. Dearka just stood there watching him, concerned that his anger is getting the better of him. Ever since his injury from the Strike pilot, his anger continues to spike to ridiculous levels. Sure, he has a right to be pissed at what the guy did to him but this is getting out of hand. Taking a sigh, he picked up the bandages and threw them in the trash can.

"Seriously, one of these days, he's really gonna get himself killed with that attitude. Ugh, I'm hungry too. Wonder what they have on the menu today…"

With that, he left the room heading towards the mess hall for some lunch.

* * *

The _Archangel_ and the Desert Dawn arrived at their base of operations. The sight of the large Earth Forces vessel made the rebels whistle in appreciation. Not only for its majestic appearance but at the firepower and edge it will give them over the Desert Tiger's forces.

"Wow will you look at that." says one rebel.

"I know man. Quite the beauty isn't she?" answered another.

"Glad this ship is on our side. Now we can really kick the Desert Tiger out of our territory for good."

"Right? I also heard they have mobile suits with them! Mobile suits! This is seriously in our favor."

"I can already smell freedom and victory. Oh yes it'll be amazing."

While there are some rebels excited for additional firepower and some appreciated help, there are others who are not so optimistic about their new guests. Parking his car to the side, Sahib hops off along with Cagalli and Kisaka. As he disembarks the truck, two rebels came by with incredulous expressions on their face.

"Hey boss! What's the big idea over here bring an Earth Forces ship to our place? I thought we're good to go with what we have?"

"They're our guests and allies so behave yourselves. I don't want to hear any fuss coming from either party. Understand?"

"R-right..."

"Good. Assist them with whatever they need help on." He looks over to the Duel and Buster Dagger. "Davis, Droz, assist in securing the _Archangel_."

"Got it boss man! Alright Droz, let's hit it!"

"No need to tell me twice."

Murrue, Mu, Natarle and Duane left the white vessel as they catch up to Sahib while the Strike and the custom CGUE hopped on the _Archangel_ 's deck to help secure the ship. Entering in the base, the four officers see other Desert Dawn members either guarding the complex, working on the computers, or checking their inventory. They also noticed the crates are labelled with either ZAFT or the Earth Alliance logos on them.

Not surprising since the rebels must have scavenged whatever supplies they can get from any Earth Alliance base in Africa. With Davis and Droz working with them, they also took over some of ZAFT's supply stations around the continent hence why there are some ZAFT supply crates around the base.

As they continue to walk to Sahib's office, Murrue and Natarle got some wolf whistles from the rebels passing by them. Some even started to whisper indecent things to each other about the beautiful officers that they will be working with. They were a disgusted at their shenanigans, mostly with Murrue since she would rather have Cooper flirt with her than some of the…unsavory gentlemen passing by them.

A faint blush appeared on her face just imagining her boyfriend relentlessly teasing her nonstop. She shook those thoughts from her head, focusing on their current plan to get to Alaska.

Heading in, the four _Archangel_ officers looked around the office. The space is small with nothing but a map of Africa, power generators to keep the computers running, two small refrigerators and a table on the center. Cagalli went over to one of the computer operators and asked about any suspicious activity while they are away.

"Any sightings of suspicious activity?"

The operator shakes his head. "Nothing on our radar ma'am. Seems like the Desert Tiger and his forces are laying low for the moment."

"Keep tracking them. Knowing him, he'll pop up where we least expect it."

"Roger that."

While Cagalli continues working with the operators, Mu looks around unimpressed with the accommodations of the base. Even if it is a rebel base, it could use a bit of space instead of a small cramped one.

"You guys live in a place like this?"

Sahib just grabs a mug before pouring himself a cup of coffee. "This is our frontline base. Our homes are in the towns." He takes a drink before turning his attention back to Mu. "That is if they haven't been burnt down yet."

Murrue cocks her head to him. "Towns, Sahib?"

"Mhm. Tassil, Moula, hell we even have some guys in Banadiya. The Desert Dawn is made up of volunteers from such towns." He takes another drink before looking at the officers. "Want some coffee?"

They all nod to him. The Desert Dawn leader points his thumb at the cupboard. "Use any mug you want. They're not the best but it's all we have at the moment."

Looking at the mugs and the state they are in, they decided to pass it over and join him at the table. As they looked over to the map, Mu moves his eyes to the side to see him making eye contact with Cagalli.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, who's she?"

He takes a drink before looking at the Hawk of Endymion. "Our goddess of victory. Her name is Cagalli Yula. Anyways, onto more important matters."

Grabbing a world map, he unravels it before pointing right at Alaska. "So to my understanding, you want to reach Alaska, yes?"

"That's right Mister Ashman. Could there be routes that we can take with the least amount of resistance?" answers Duane.

He rubs his beard as he continues to look right at the map. "Hmm…this might be a predicament. It may be ZAFT territory but take a look at this land. On the map, their forces can't cover the entire desert but that all changed. Three days ago, the Victoria Spaceport fell to their control and ever since, they extended their control over the entire region."

This shocked them all when they heard the news of Victoria's fall to ZAFT hands. Losing Victoria would prove a fatal blow to the Earth Alliance not in their war effort but also in their morale. Public support will also start to dwindle if their military is not doing anything to prevent ZAFT from occupying certain key points in mother Earth.

Natarle can only blink in shock at the news. "They took Victoria from our hands?"

"Three days ago no less?" adds an incredulous Murrue.

Sahib takes a drink of his coffee before turning back to business. "The African Community traditionally sided with the PLANTs more while the South African Union did their hardest to resist them but the EA eventually abandoned them. Their lines continuously moved towards the edge. Last I heard, they aren't doing a good job in keeping ZAFT off their backyard."

"And that's where you guys continued to fight against ZAFT." comments Mu.

Sahib narrows his eyes a bit before placing his mug down. "As we look at it, both the Earth Forces and ZAFT are two sides of the same coin. I could care less if you're a Coordinator or Natural or what ideologies you follow but in the end all you wanted to do is take what's ours and leave us with nothing which is why I was hesitant to work with your lot in the first place."

Despite the harsh words, they cannot ultimately deny that fact. Such a sentiment is not something want to hear despite it being true.

"But considering the circumstances and firepower the bastard has in his disposal, we need some assistance in our campaign against him. Regardless, onto more important matters. How's that ship of yours good at the atmosphere?"

"The _Archangel_ cannot fly at such high altitudes." answers Natarle.

"Well that's no good. If you can't get fly over mountain range, then test your luck on this one. Go right through Gibraltar. With your ace pilots and a good, sturdy warship, I think you guys can handle it."

Mu looked at Sahib incredulously. Go through Gibraltar? That is suicidal if you ask him! The Archangel and their pilots may be good but not _that_ good to take on an entire ZAFT force stationed in that base.

"Go through Gibraltar? You gotta be kidding me! Not with our current battle strength. It'll be a nightmare to do such a thing."

The Desert Dawn leader calmly points to another part of the map. "Here's another one. Second option is to go the Red Sea. Reach that part, go through the Indian Ocean and over to the Pacific Ocean. It'll be a long journey to reach but you'll eventually reach to Alaska. You might run into some smaller ZAFT units patrolling the oceans but it's better than having to go through a large portion of the land forces, yeah?"

Natarle frowns on the secondary option. She would have taken it had it not been such a long stretch to head towards Alaska. Sure, there may be fewer enemy units to fight but they still have some supply issues plaguing the ship. If they do not stock up, it will be all over for them.

"As much as the second option is feasible, we can't cover such a distance without getting some supplies first. The _Archangel_ is in dire need of them ever since we launched from Heliopolis."

The Hawk of Endymion takes a look at the map, finding a shortcut to reach Alaska. "There's gotta be a place where we can reach Alaska without having to fight. The Oceania Union is still within ZAFT territory so we can rule that out. What about the Equatorial Union? They're still neutral right?"

The grizzled man clears his throat making everybody look at him. "Hold your horses right there. You guys are jumping the gun way too early when you haven't reached such a phase yet." He points to Banadiya. "Take a look at this. The _Lesseps_ is right here in Banadiya."

Mu was confused at first. What does the _Lesseps_ have to do with their journey to Alaska? He examines the map for a moment before realizing what he is trying to tell them. "Oh now I see. So that's what you meant by trying to get past them. I guess it's a better alternative than having to fight a fortress of a base that's Gibraltar."

Murrue weighed the options that are presented before them. On one hand, they can test their luck by going through Gibraltar and reach Alaska from there but as Mu points out, they are not an indestructible force. Their pilots may be excellent but they're no gods.

The second one, while it is a long journey, is the more reasonable one. The lesser ZAFT teams they fight, the better. Still, the downside to passing through the _Lesseps_ is fighting one ace unit with another.

Still, this is the only safest and best route to embark despite the length of the journey it will take them to reach Alaska headquarters.

"Very well. We'll have to do our best in breaking through the Desert Tiger and reach the ocean. Can we count on your cooperation in that regard, Mister Ashman?"

This time, he lips form a grin. "Now you're talking sense. We'll welcome any help to take him out of our home once and for all. We've been fighting him for quite a while so it's time to end it."

They continued on discussing other business topics before calling it a day.

It was night time already in the Desert Dawn main base and a few events transpired through the day.

One being, Cagalli and Kira relieving the tension between them. The blonde tomboy apologized to young pilot about her brash actions which he forgave her. The second is Cooper hitching a ride with Davis and Droz giving him a tour around the city while grabbing some supplies along the way such as food and water.

Thankfully, there was no fuss between either party throughout the day which is quite surprising considering some of the rebels were leery about the idea of working alongside with them to take out their enemy, the Desert Tiger. But their fellow comrades seem to be happy about getting some extra firepower and leverage over their foes. Despite their hesitation to work with them, if they are here to kick him out, then time to place personal feelings aside and work towards a common goal.

Bringing back to the present time, the rebels along with the _Archangel_ 's crew members are outside the base eating some dinner. Two small tents are posted outside as people line up to get whatever is on the menu for the night.

Off to the side, Sai, Miriallia, Kuzzey, and Tolle are watching them eat their dinner as people discuss other matters around the table.

The bespectacled teen took a sigh as he looks over what's transpiring before them. "How'd we end up in a resistance base in the first place? Not to mention, the Desert Dawn mercenaries knowing Cooper? This is getting crazier by the day."

"Still, right smack in the middle of the desert? If I knew I'd end up in the here, I wouldn't have agreed to boarding the _Archangel_." added Kuzzey.

Tolle rolls his eyes at him. "What are you talking about man? If you were in that shuttle and Cooper didn't save you and the rest of the refugees, you would've easily been toast by the Duel pilot. At least be grateful you're still alive and well."

"Hey there youngsters!" The four teenagers looked over to see Davis approaching them. "Whatcha doin' out here lonesome? Aren't you hungry?"

Sai scratches the back of his head trying to come up with an excuse to get themselves out of this situation. "Er…well…we're not…"

Davis, however, wags his finger at them. "Ah, ah, ah don't give me the 'I'm not that hungry' excuse. Food's good so why don't you guys dig in and have something nice in your bellies? It's probably better than the crap you guys eat in the ship."

The teens were a bit hesitant making Davis sigh in frustration. Perhaps this might convince these youngsters to join them. "Cooper, Droz and I went around town to pick up some stuff to cook a mean meal for tonight. The three of us picked them out for ya so why don't you hop on our table, have some nice dinner, relax, chat with us like one big ole family, and enjoy?"

They glanced to the side to see Cooper motioning them to come over to their table. Seeing no way out of this, they agreed to dine with them. Everybody is having a relaxing time in the base, enjoying their meals.

When dinner is over, the rest of the Desert Dawn and members of the _Archangel_ assembled in the white warship's hangar bay for Cooper to reveal their origins to them. Getting BT off the recharging station, the technicians and mechanics hooked the Vanguard Titan turned mobile suit to a couple simulation devices before giving Cooper the okay signal.

"Alright, I know you guys are probably wondering where we're from. Well you're just in luck because we have a story to tell you. But before I go into it, I do want to mention that I will not spill out military secrets or other sensitive information. I know you guys are really curious about the cool tricks we display in battle but that's on a need-to-know basis. It also includes our gear and other items that we can't share all the details to you fully. Do I make myself clear?"

Seeing everybody agree to his terms, he turns over to BT. "Got the projector going buddy?"

" **Yes. All of the data pertaining to our origins is stored right here. Ready on your mark.** "

"Excellent. Ladies and gentlemen, sit back, relax, and enjoy the story. BT, hit it."

BT's blue monoeye optic immediately glows casting an ethereal glow for a minute before the entire hangar is engulfed in a bright light. Everybody shielded their eyes before they are treated to a scene of the Milky Way Galaxy.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the Cosmic Era, welcome to the Frontier where I along with Davis and Droz originate. Let's start out story, shall we?"

Before Cooper can say anything, Cagalli crosses her arms, looking unimpressed at the scene before them. "The Frontier? What do you mean by that? I'm looking at Milky Way Galaxy and I don't see anything Frontier-related. What's so special about it?"

"I'm getting there." Clearing his throat, he continues. "Anyways, as I was saying before, the three of us are from the Frontier which doesn't exist here in this timeline and neither do Naturals and Coordinators. As you know, this is the Milky Way Galaxy where the Core System is situated. What I mean by the Core System, I mean the Sol System and the planets surrounding it."

The scene hones in on the Core System with the planets around the Sol system. They are treated to a sight of Earth in the twenty-first century. The Cosmic Era inhabitants were quite stunned to see the technological advancements in their own twenty-first century compared to their own timeline.

If anything, they are more advanced than they are which is insane! How they were able to achieve such an advancement in such a period of time they will never know.

"During the years of the twenty-first century and into the early parts of the twenty-second, we've been trying to find a way to head into space for space exploration and colonization. Resources are starting to deplete which would lead to conflicts to grab those said resources, populations continue to rise and Earth is heavy with pollution."

"So it was a top priority for you guys to head into space to find a suitable place for you guys to settle in and grab resources to meet some of the demands back on Earth." added Mu.

Cooper nods to him. "Exactly. It was tough at first since everybody is trying to meet the challenge but couldn't due to lack of resources or their inventions couldn't meet expectations. It wasn't until a gentleman by the name of Doctor Hammond succeeded in this endeavor."

The scene switched to the headquarters of Hammond Robotics which his situated in a nice mountainous region and waterfall right beside the company. Inside, they saw scientists and engineers walking through the clean halls of the company, chatting about the projects they will be embarking. Numerous inventions, posters, and other items that were being manufactured in the company were up for display.

Everybody watching this were quite amazed at the devices that were created inside the company. Despite the simplistic look and aesthetics of these space exploration devices, they know these inventions would prove beneficial for their upcoming journey.

The scene astounded Kira and Sai since they are big technology fans. They looked like children inside a candy shop which is quite a hilarious sight for the Frontier trio. Morgenroete may be their dream company to work for but Hammond Robotics is a close second. Hell, it might just be on top of their lists of places to apply for a job there if such a company exists here in their universe.

"Doctor Hammond's company, Hammond Robotics, just started out small. Despite it being a small technological company, it didn't deter him or his crew in the slightest to meet the demands of space exploration. Thanks to his success, the government gave him much funding for projects that would prove beneficial. His company grew thus leading to some divisions being created such as the Hammond Armament Division, Hammond Engineering, Hammond Industries, and Hammond Aerospace. He's also a bit responsible for the creation of the Interstellar Manufacturing Corporation also known as IMC for short thanks to Hammond Engineering changing its name."

Kira noticed that the scene did not display the man in person so he looked over to Cooper with an inquisitive look. "But where is Doctor Hammond? How come I only see his inventions but not the man himself?"

Droz answered it for him. "One thing we know is that he doesn't show his face to the public, unless it's some sort of project presentation. Other than that, he spends his time working. I heard rumors saying he prefers to be in the company of his fellow scientists and engineers than dabbling with government officials, celebrities and other important people. Some say his company headquarters is his home but that's a bit extreme in my opinion."

Cooper clears his throat gaining everybody's attention. "Regardless of the circumstances, Doctor Hammond is indeed famous for his latest invention that will prove beneficial not only for the Core System but for the Frontier as well."

The scene changed to one of the Hammond Robotics' laboratory. There, they are treated to an interesting looking mech.

The machine before them stands a good twenty feet instead of the usual eighteen-meter mechs they are used to seeing in the war. The mech looks somewhat humanoid though a bit unrefined, bulky, and appears to be made up of different parts from different objects.

The gray and white armor plating matches the hallways in the corporation. On top of the mech is a circular hatch with a roving camera off to the side. What appears to be the head unit of the machine is a large circular frame with two optics formed in a diagonal pattern with one being larger than the other.

After looking at the mech before them, Cagalli looks over to the Frontier trio. "What's that…I guess for a lack of a better word…mobile suit before us?"

Cooper just grins at her. "Oh that ain't no mobile suit young lady because what you're seeing right now is the Titan!"

"A Titan?"

"Mhm. That's one of the main devices used not only for planetary exploration but for civilian usage as well. You see, this mech is made to withstand the rough terrain and harsh conditions of planets that are viewed as habitable for humans. These machines will be instrumental in the upcoming years but we'll get there in a second."

Leaving the laboratory, the scene changed to Titans deployed to both on the Moon and Mars. They watch as teams of Titans scan the area for possible human settlements and areas of fertile ground for crops to grow. "With the Titans in production, space survey and exploration made it easy for us to gather necessary data before we can begin planetary colonization."

They see Mars and the Moon being colonized and urbanized by people of Earth. Within a couple of years, cities and towns are already established and the populations between those two worlds begin to increase.

"Yet despite the successful colonization efforts, it wasn't enough to solve the current problems on Earth. Thankfully and fortunately, the Jump Drive was invented allowing humanity to look beyond our solar system and into other systems where life is sustainable for humans to thrive and flourish."

Shifting from Mars and the Moon, they looked in awe, amazement and wonder at the ships outfitted with Jump Drive engines to travel faster than the speed of light, heading into galaxies that are light years away from the Milky Way Galaxy.

They watch as expedition teams record data on the different exoplanets along with resources and items that not only are much needed for the Core System but also new, exotic ones to improve daily life. Despite the dangers each planet provided from the wildlife and exotic fauna to the harsh weather conditions and terrain, the expedition teams continued their mission to provide humanity a better home.

Admiral Halberton was truly impressed with the different biomes each planet has to offer along with the exotic wildlife and fauna inhabiting the planets. "Amazing! I've never seen such planets like this in my lifetime. Truly, it's fascinating how far your timeline has progressed compared to ours."

Mu chuckles as he spots the "I know right? We've only colonized the Moon and Mars but not to the extent you guys have reached. Kinda sad now that you think about it."

Miriallia, Tolle and Kuzzey looked at the exotic animals that lived in each planet. Some might even look like they jump straight out of science fiction novels and movies.

Tolle points at what appears to be a dragon flying through the air in one of the exoplanets. "Holy crud is that a dragon!? A real life one?!"

Davis chuckles a bit. "Kinda but not really. For one they don't shoot fire at you and two, they somewhat resemble some of the extinct dinosaurs in prehistoric eras. We call them dragons but really they're just alien dinos more than anything."

Clearing his throat, Cooper brings everybody's attention back to the story. "This is what we call the Frontier. Fitting considering this is new territory that we're discovering and planning to settle in. Thanks to the new discoveries on the Frontier, public interest grew exponentially thus making the government fund the expedition teams to continue their search for newer homes and settlements. Aside from scientists, engineers, biologists, and technicians, veterans who participated in the Core System conflicts were part of the team under the IMC Serviceman's Readjustment Act…

"Or as we'd like to call it, the G.I. Bill." finishes Davis.

Murrue looks at the Frontier Trio with a curious look on her face. "What details did the G.I. Bill contain?"

This time Droz answers it for her. "The G.I. Bill gives certain benefits to veterans participating on IMC-backed campaigns and wars in the Core System. Benefits include low-cost mortgages, low loans to start businesses or farms on the Frontier, guaranteed property rights, allowed to operate firearms and their military-issued Titans along with other stuff."

Sahib, however, was confused at this tidbit. "Wait, didn't you say the IMC was just a branch of Hammond Robotics?"

"You're right, they're a branch of Hammond Robotics but they also have a military of their own as well. The IMC became a commercial empire with their parent company, Hammond Robotics, being their partners. Thanks to their expansion and growth, they not only have the much-needed funds to continue with their projects, but also have enough to start raising an army. In fact, you can say the IMC is the official army of the Core System."

Cooper wanted to head back to where they are in the story. "But back to the topic at hand. These veterans under the G.I. Bill would be the initial settlers of the Frontier and with that, small communities and settlements begin to form around the exoplanets."

The scene changes from the growth of the first settlements on the Frontier to the diminishing number of ships reaching the Frontier with only a handful or a few to count reaching this neck of the galaxy.

"While exploration and new discoveries are good and beneficial for the Core System, strife and chaos always lurk around the corner. Public interest and support for Frontier exploration diminished. Riots and wars begin to erupt all over, funds begin to decrease bit by bit due to the expenses along with economies hitting recession levels. Thanks to the chaos ensuing in the Core System, they ultimately ceased the expedition and terminated projects that involve exploring the Frontier."

"So what happened to the settlers in the Frontier? Did they return to the Core System to sort out the mess that's occurring?" asks Murrue.

The Frontier Trio shook their heads. "Instead of heading back, the settlers continue their own expedition and discoveries. If anything, they wanted to continue unraveling the secrets the Frontier has to offer. Without having to bother or deal with the mess back at the Core System, settlements around the Frontier continued to thrive and flourish."

And true to Jack's words, the settlements did flourish. Despite the challenges all of them faced when support from the Core System ceased, they continued on instead of falling back. There, small communities grew to large cities and towns. Urbanization flourished throughout the exoplanets they colonized and populations within those regions increased.

"Life in the Frontier continued to flourish and grow and with that we begin to think of ourselves as independent citizens of the Frontier instead of Core System citizens. Thanks to a long peacetime reigning over the lands, we used this to our advantage to explore more of the other planets surrounding the Frontier."

From the Frontier adventures changed to the IMC returning to the Frontier. Much to their horror, IMC soldiers begin to enact martial law and imminent domain over what they considered their territory. They saw the atrocities they inflicted on the Frontier settlers such as forced evictions, extortion, and even worse, killing them if they do not comply to their wishes.

"Of course, peace wouldn't last for us as the IMC went back to the Frontier. Seeing the flourishing and thriving state, they begin to establish imminent domain over us, robbing our resources, livestock, supplies, and other necessary items we need to survive on the harsh environment."

Davis then steps in. "And thanks to that, we got good ole martial law. There's a crap ton of them but the gist is, if you don't give us what we need, we'll threaten you or kill you. Oh, and if your settlement is on a region of resources we need, get out or we'll make you get out. Do as we say and life goes on without any hitches."

Kira gulped at the sight of innocents being mercilessly killed by IMC soldiers. Some even massacred an entire settlement just to extract whatever it is that they need. And they do not spare anybody. They shoot them down to the last baby.

The poor lad thought the Bloody Valentine Day Tragedy was the worst event in human history. But this? That tragedy is nothing compared to the amount of lives lost in Cooper's world.

"Did all of the IMC forces begin killing settlers just to grab what they want?"

"Depending on the region you're in. Most of the time, they'll just kick you out or force you to work for them. They might threaten you at gunpoint but it's seldom. However, if you live on what they consider 'hot-zone' planets, then either do as they say or you're dead. Most of the time, they'll just shoot than ask questions since they don't have all the time in the world to wait for your response."

They then watch as the settlers, tired of being mistreated by the IMC, rise up and begin retaliating by using guerilla warfare and other attacks on supply stations.

"Of course, we won't stand being treated like crap so we rose up and begin attacking them thus instigating our civil war and the birth of the Militia. This conflict is known as the Frontier War."

The _Archangel_ crew members and the Desert Dawn watched as the Militia and the IMC duke it out in the Frontier. The latter continuously trounce over their enemy thanks to their advanced weapons and their three main Titans which are the Stryder, Atlas, and Ogre.

The Militia, on the other hand, had to improvise on their tactics. Despite the few victories the Militia gained, it was not enough to stop the IMC juggernaut from taking over and controlling the Frontier.

"We had a tough time battling the IMC thanks to their Titans so we had to utilize whatever we have in our disposal to take them out. Mostly Anti-Titan weapons, tanks, and jets to doom them but even that wasn't enough to stop them from taking over."

Mu whistles a bit, seeing the similarity of the Frontier War to their own war against ZAFT, albeit the Militia are less organized than the Earth Alliance but the similarities still shine in this story. "Man, it's like I'm seeing an exact version of what we're dealing with right now in terms of combat."

"Thanks to that, the IMC established their foothold over the Frontier for quite some time. All seems lost for us but we're quite fortunate to have a certain individual join us to turn the tide around."

They are treated to a tall individual around 6'2, with short hair and wearing the IMC combat gear wielding an R-101C.

"This is James MacAllan, a former XO of the IMC Navy who became the leader of the Militia."

This surprised everybody as they never expected a former IMC officer, much less an executive officer, to defect.

"The Militia was quite fortunate to have him on our side though there were some who were hesitant and reluctant in allowing a former IMC officer to join us. I mean, who wouldn't be? But if we were ever trying to gain an edge over the IMC, we had to trust him."

"But why would he defect over to the Militia's side? He has to have a reason for doing so." asked Natarle.

It was BT who decided to answer it for _Archangel_ Lieutenant. " **From what I remembered from my former pilot, Captain Tai Lastimosa, General MacAllan didn't like the harsh treatment of Frontier civilians by IMC forces. He was hesitant to fight against the IMC because he wanted to be neutral but after hearing Admiral Marcus Graves and IMC mercenary, Kuben Blisk, continuing their fight against the Militia, he decided to help out them out.** "

Shifting over, they see the Militia becoming organized bit by bit, utilizing some of their guerilla tactics with that of the IMC, stealing Titans and retrofitting them to suit their needs. Pilots are beginning to be trained in the art of Titan warfare and utilizing the captured Titan weapons to their advantage. They even drilled the Militia forces into utilizing effective anti-Titan tactics in the case where there are no pilots within their vicinity to help them out in battle.

They watch their civil war continue to erupt from the disastrous Operation: Fracture to the fateful Battle of Demeter where the Militia finally dealt a blowing defeat to the IMC forces leaving them stranded in the Frontier with no reinforcements aiding them. They also witnessed the tragic fall of James MacAllan with him convincing Marcus Graves to fight for the right side. This led him to defect from the IMC to the Militia.

After the Battle of Demeter, the Militia is now formed in an organized military unit with logistics, better tactics, new facilities to train recruits and pilots alike, and being able to manufacture their own Titan, the Vanguard-class Titan.

"Is this a new Titan the Militia made?" asks Kira.

Jack nods right at the young lad. "Mhm, this is the Vanguard-class Titan. Our very own Titan specked out with homegrown Militia tech. They're made to be durable, efficient, and lasting but due to the material constraints, these are used for Special Recon Squadron pilots or SRS for short. My buddy here, BT, is a Vanguard class though you're used to seeing him in a CGUE configuration."

"What about the pilots that aren't part of the SRS, Cooper?" asks Halberton.

"We still have the Atlas, Ogre, and Stryder Titans that we took from the IMC though we had to retrofit them with some new technology to make sure they can handle the new Titans the IMC can deploy on the frontlines."

Seeing the different fronts around the Frontier War post Demeter, they saw the IMC deploying new Titan models into their battles. As they continued to look, they noticed that all six of these new models are subclasses from the original three Titan frames.

"I'm sure you noticed by now these are the new Titans deployed in the frontlines. These six classes are derived from the Atlas, Ogre and Stryder classes. Developed by the IMC, these six are more frequently deployed and utilized since they have better specs, weapons, and even new versions of the original weapons than their counterparts."

He then begins to summarize the capabilities of each class to the assembled audience starting with the Tone and Ion Titans. "Tone Titans are mainly used for wasting enemies utilizing explosions and rockets while Ion Titans use energy to deal with hostiles but energy management is key to make sure you don't drain the battery power all at once."

Cooper switches over to the two Ogre-based Titans. "Scorch is self-explanatory since they use fire to incinerate their targets while Legion uses a minigun to repel targets and defend hardpoints. Sometimes, they're called in to take out sturdy fortifications or enemy control points."

Finally, he places the Ronin and Northstar next to each other. "And finally, the two Stryder-sub classes, the Ronin and the Northstar. Ronin mainly uses hit-and-run tactics to confuse their enemies while the Northstar is a long-range sniper support class."

Moving away from the new Titan sub-classes, they head towards the planet of Typhon. There, they are treated to seeing Cooper along with his fellow Militia rifleman heading down to the planet's surface via pods before heading straight into the chaotic battle. Leaving his pod, he and his comrades started taking out Spectres while a few squads of IMC Marines would hop in to stop their advancement following by bombardments from IMC carriers.

" _Get to firing positions goddammit! More IMC Spectres are coming their way!_ "

" _Are we even near the drop zone?!_ "

" _Fuck no! We're way off course!_ "

They see one of the Militia riflemen get on the radio to request for more reinforcements. " _This is Squad Eight from the MacAllan! We're surrounded by Spectres and have no reinforcements. Can you provide some for us ASAP!?_ "

" _Negative Squad Eight. We don't have any available reinforcements at this time. You'll have to do this on your own._ "

" _We can't stay here! We need to move!_ "

" _Do we have any pilots in the area?! Where the hell's our Titan support?!_ "

Thankfully, Captain Lastimosa got in on their radio comms. " _This is Captain Lastimosa! I got a fix on your location. I'm on my way._ "

The Militia riflemen continued to move forward, clearing out Spectres and IMC squads to the best of their abilities before heading over to a large clearing. Just as Cooper and the others moved up, all of a sudden, a Titan came crushing down on them via Titanfall.

Murrue, along with the others, nearly had a heart attack seeing her boyfriend nearly crushed on by a hostile Titan. Although it was just a flashback, she cannot help but be instantly worried for him. Cooper sheepishly runs his hand through his hair while Davis just chuckles and Droz shaking his head at the former rifleman.

"Testing your luck I see? Living on the edge? I dig that Coop."

The former rifleman sheepishly chuckles in embarrassment. "I was nearly crushed but to be honest, I was paying attention on getting out of the killzone and trying to regroup with our unit. I didn't know a Titan would come barreling in through the battlefield."

"Still, I'm quite surprised the Titanfall didn't kill you unlike some of your comrades."

Jack shrugs right at Droz. "Lady Luck loves me I guess?"

They watch as the Tone Titan ruthlessly killed the surviving riflemen, with some backhanding them to the rocky walls while the others were crushed by the Titan with a foot stomp reducing them to a red cloud.

Everybody nearly threw up while Kuzzey and Kira fainted at the gruesome sight before them. The Tone Titan locked its sights on Cooper was about to crush him but Lastimosa saved him with BT grabbing the Titan, smashing the machine down on the ground, and unleashed a powerful barrage onto the mech.

Hopping off the cockpit, Lastimosa spotted an injured Cooper. " _Cooper you're in bad shape! Hold on._ "

Dragging him to safety under a bush, he took a syringe out of his pocket and injected him right on the leg. " _This might knock you out but you should be okay when you wake up._ "

Immediately another hostile Titan, an Ion, emerged and began to engage BT. The Vanguard Titan immediately activated the Vortex shield to block the energy rounds coming from the Splitter Rifle before the enemy ran out of rounds.

" _ **Lastimosa, hostile Titan inbound. Apex Predators.**_ "

" _Copy that. Mercenaries. Cooper stay down here._ " Taking out the syringe, Lastimosa hops in to BT. " _Alright BT, let's go!_ "

Hopping in, Lastimosa and BT charged right at the Ion Titan. The Ion fired a laser shot at the incoming enemy but the Vanguard-class dodged it. The enemy machine tried to punch it but BT and Lastimosa knocked them with a side punch before riddling the machine with bullets.

Unfortunately, more Apex Predator Titans begin heading into the battle through Phase Dash and already BT and Lastimosa are cornered. They did their best to fend them off but a Ronin Titan struck BT down with its broadsword, took its battery and crushed it while the Legion Titan smacked the Vanguard down with its minigun.

Cooper blacked out for a bit before waking up to see some of the Apex Predators assembling around the clearing while a few IMC Titans and ground troops patrol around the area to take out any stragglers they find.

The Legion's cockpit opens up revealing Kuben Blisk. " _We have eighteen hours. Eighteen hours until the Ark is sealed and ready for delivery! Let's get a move on!_ "

That was the last time Cooper was able to stay conscious before blacking out. The audience watch as the rifleman wakes up to find himself surrounded by his dead teammates. He makes his way over to the somewhat functioning Titan. BT lurched forward before going on his fists and knees, dropping the mortally wounded Lastimosa from the cockpit.

He went over to his teacher and mentor to aid him. " _Captain Lastimosa!_ "

Opening his helmet, the dying Lastimosa looks up to BT. " _BT! Transfer authorization to new Pilot…Link Brav…(cough) (cough)…Bravo-Tango Seven-Two-Seven-Four…_ "

He looks over to Cooper from the corner of his eye. Using all of his strength, the man grabs Cooper by the shoulder. " _Cooper! Take my Titan. Use my helmet and my jump kit. This is the real deal son. Take care…of him…._ "

With that, the man died in his arms. Although everybody was saddened by his passing, they cannot help but wonder why he had to make BT authorize a link to him being a new pilot.

"Why did Lastimosa have to authorize BT a link since you're just a new pilot? Can't you just hop in?" asked a confused Mu.

"He did that because I wasn't a certified Pilot yet. If I just hop into BT, the link wouldn't work and I wouldn't be able to manually operate him."

The audience returned to the story as they watch Jack getting used to being a pilot, getting his neural link synced with BT, and fighting his way through Typhon to stop the IMC. They watched him and BT brave the dangerous terrain of Typhon, fight immeasurable odds that would be stressful and overwhelming, and take out the deadly Apex Predators by himself without having any backup to aid him.

Despite being promoted to Acting Pilot and having minimal experience in handling a Titan, he made it work which is quite impressive for a Rifleman to do.

Following through his journey, they watched him and BT uncover the mysteries of the Fold Weapon. The Cosmic Era inhabitants are quite astounded that such an unknown advanced race is capable of creating an object that can fold time and space.

But alas they know that the IMC will use it as a weapon to destroy Militia planets. And to do that, they used the Typhon's moon, Othros, as their guinea pig. After the tests were completed, they fired the Fold Weapon right at the satellite before the Fold Weapon died down.

The result? The moon became nothing more than a floating debris of rocks in space. Despite the destruction of the original Fold Weapon model, they are using the Ark, a smaller version of the original, to destroy Harmony. Thanks to this revelation, BT and Cooper doubled their efforts to stop them from using it.

After many battles and the Apex Predators reduced down to almost nothing, Cooper got caught by the IMC forces as they stopped the _Draconis_ from hulling the Ark. Cooper was able to grab the Ark and store it in BT's cockpit but their efforts were in vain as the _Draconis_ sustained heavy damage thanks to the Militia gunships shooting at it. Instead of finding a way out, they braced for impact.

After the ship went down, IMC teams led by Blisk scavenged the downed ship before they captured BT and an unconscious Cooper. They watch as Cooper defied Blisk. Even at gunpoint, he was fearless, never showing any sign of it even if he's about to die in the process. BT sent him an encrypted text telling his pilot to trust him. Opening up the hatch, the Vanguard Titan revealed the Ark to him.

Just as Blisk was about to take it, BT swings at them, trying to take down some of them before they can grab the Ark. The damaged Titan was able to kill the IMC soldiers detaining Cooper but was unable to get Blisk. They watch as Slone yanked the Ark from damaged Titan before shooting it down, effectively destroying BT in the process.

At first, the audience thought it was the end of BT but to their surprise, he is still up and running, albeit on his last legs. Cooper took out the SERE Kit, grabbing the Data Knife and Smart Pistol before yanking out BT's data core. He left the facility fighting his way through before getting into a clear landing mark to call in a new Vanguard Titan.

The Vanguard Titan frame fell down to the ground via Titanfall before Cooper placed BT's data core into the optic slot. They watch his sheer excitement to see his friend back in action in a new chassis.

He fought his way through, taking out Slone in the process before attempting to stop the Fold Weapon from firing. Unfortunately, by ripping off the power generator's hull and damaging some of its inner workings, the explosion also damaged BT in the process.

The South African mercenary and his Titan walked up to the downed Vanguard Titan before hopping off and landing right on the cockpit.

" _Well, will look at that? It's your lucky day hero, I'm not gonna kill you. After all, I don't work for free…_ " He then crouches on the cockpit. " _But, you don't get to kill me either._ "

Chuckling a bit, he takes out an Apex invitational card before flinging it down. " _Here. You earned this._ "

Blisk turned around to see General Marder's holographic image form before him. " _Blisk! That Vanguard-class Titan is still in there!_ "

He just shrugs, not caring at the slightest at the so-called useless naff. " _It's not my problem, Marder. You should've placed it in my contract. Anyways, I got other people with money to see._ "

As Blisk left them, BT slowly but surely got up from the ground before heading up to the catapult. Bracing themselves, BT and Cooper launched as they head towards the Ark. Opening the cockpit, BT took out Cooper and much to everybody's shock.

"BT! what are you doing?!"

" **Protocol Three. Trust me.** "

Before BT can throw Cooper, the two got engulfed into the Ark's blast radius and with that, the entire story ended right there. The _Archangel_ 's hangar bay is back to normal with Cooper looking right at the audience.

"And that concludes my story."

* * *

A/N:

Phew that was a long one to write. I know I was stalling a bit thanks to finals and Mother's Day but not that they're over, I can focus on writing. Despite the summer here and what not, I have to find a part time job to get some experience and also provide some income for my family. It may not be much but any tiny bit to help my family out is better than nothing. And to the anonymous reviewer, (that is right I am looking at you), that said I abandoned the story, I am still alive you ass. I was just writing and editing this tidbit to make sure it is good. I have not abandoned the story yet because I have not posted an adoption notice. So calm your horses and quit making assumptions. It takes time and effort to write a chapter like this where I have to explain history lessons so do understand it.

But if not, that is your loss.

Regardless, here is Chapter 14! I had to do some summaries on certain parts of the Frontier story along with a bit of twists in it to make the Frontier history more plausible. I was debating how I should proceed on with showing the Frontier to the entire Cosmic Era inhabitants and I decided, why not a nice visual aid to explain some of the stuff to them?

Now I did make sure not all of the sensitive information is given to them in this chapter. Or at least I hope I did a good job in it. I made sure that Titan abilities, mechanics, and other schematics of Frontier-related gear remains with Cooper, Davis and Droz. After all, that stuff is on a need-to-know basis and only they would be entrusted with that information. Nobody else.

And before you start ranting about how Cooper telling about the Frontier's history is related to sharing sensitive information, let me make a clear distinction. Origins is just history and other events that transpired within that universe's frame. Military information would be technology to create Titans, Titan abilities such as Vortex Shield, Phase Shift, Jump Kit, 40mm Cannon, Arc Rounds etc etc. That information stays with them and nobody else in the Cosmic Era timeline cannot gain their hands on it.

It is fine if you want to talk about history and events since they are just that but never military secrets.

Anyways, hope you guys enjoy this chapter. I do apologize in advance about the delay but here it is. Enjoy and have a fantastic day!


	16. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

 **A/N:**

 **Disclaimer:**

 **Alright, ladies and gentlemen, this is Giriko-99. Although there was not a lot of fighting within the chapter, it is more of an insight of the Frontier to the Cosmic Era people. After all, I did say I am going to show their world to them in a manner where there is not a lot of fighting and action.**

 **Now note that I did not show them how Titans are made, their abilities, or how their AIs are created. Those are military secrets that will remain in the Militia's hands. While Cooper did show them their world and the events that created the Frontier, he is not dumb enough to share military secrets with them.**

 **Remember when DaCosta mentioned about Viper the moment the** _ **Archangel**_ **landed on the desert? Correct for Viper, our beloved speedy mercenary, is still alive and kicking. I know he died in the game but Viper is just too cool in my opinion to die. Out of all the mercenaries Blisk hired in the Apex Predators, he is the only professional one of the bunch. The others are just lousy operators aside from Ashe.**

 **Sure, you can argue Ashe is not acting professionally since she ignored Blisk's orders to kill them in the factory and instead decided to do things her own way. Not to mention, destroying said plant just to kill two Militia personnel? Talk about unnecessary overkill tactics but unlike her other colleagues, she is not crazy or mentally unstable.**

 **But I digress, Viper will be here in the story with the task of taking out Cooper and BT thanks to the warrant placed on their heads after their stunt in Typhon. It may be a different universe he is in, but orders are orders.**

 **So without further ado, let us get this started.**

 **Legend:**

 **Hello – BT-7274 or Titan speaking.**

 _ **Hello**_ **– Thoughts, or flashback.**

 **Hello** **– Radio communications, news media outlet.**

 **Disclaimer: Titanfall belongs to Respawn Entertainment while Gundam SEED belongs to Sunrise and directed by Mitsudo Fukuda.**

* * *

 _Jack Davidson Cooper's Log Book 4.3_

 _So now I dropped the bomb on them. I mean I did promise to show them the Frontier so I did uphold my end of the bargain. After all, the folks in the Archangel are curious about BT and I thanks to the show we gave them so best get it out of the way without revealing too much._

 _Kinda hilarious to see their reactions when I showed them that we have other planets colonizes whereas they have Mars and the Moon colonized. While it's hilarious to see their reactions, I can't help but feel some irony. It's called the Cosmic Era yet they haven't achieved FTL travel or invented Jump Drive engines to explore and inhabit other planets like we have. You'd think that after a couple centuries, they'd be like us or even more advanced but they haven't gone further than we have._

 _Public not interested in interplanetary colonization or expanding humanity like we did when we heard the Frontier? Budget constraints or perhaps they don't have the necessary technology to start creating Jump Drive engines._

 _I'm speculating but I digress. Now I know what you're thinking about me showing them the Frontier. Cooper, is this a good idea to show the Archangel's crew and the Desert Dawn about your home world? Isn't that sharing secrets to unknown parties?_

 _I shared them history and events that shaped my universe, not military secrets. Sharing history is one thing but sharing sensitive info is another. They're nice but I'm not a dumbass to carelessly tell them how Titans are made or their abilities for that matter._

 _Let them conjure up theories or whatever scientific crap all they want. Let their imaginations go wild for all I care. They won't even get near to the truth. I may be a bastard for saying such a thing but as long as we keep them in the dark about Titan technology, we'll be good to go._

 _Fact of the matter is, we're here to kick ass, take names, and of course, date Murrue and eventually marry and live happily ever after._

 _Forget I said the last part. Just know we're here to fight._

 _Jack Cooper, Pilot of BT-7274, 41st Militia Rifle Battalion._

* * *

During the same night Cooper is sharing the Frontier's tale to the _Archangel_ 's crew and the Desert Dawn, the Desert Tiger's forces are about to make their move. In the _Lesseps_ , Martin walked through the hallways before stopping right before stopping right in front of his commander's office. Knocking on the door, the redhead officer makes himself known to him.

"Sir. It's me, DaCosta."

"Come on through."

The door opened to the side allowing Martin to enter through before the door closed. Entering in his office, the man cannot help but cover his nose with his gloved hand. The air around the room is heavy with the scent of coffee and other brewing aromas.

On the other end of the desk, Andrew, being the coffee connoisseur he is, concentrated on his drink, watching the rich brown liquid boiling nicely in the decanter. He stirred his coffee to get the blend evenly spread.

"She's coming along quite nicely. Just a bit more and viola."

Martin clears his throat before addressing his commanding officer with a displeased frown. "Sir, with all due respect, your entire office is smelling like coffee. Perhaps we need to have a ventilation system around here. I honestly don't know how you're not suffocating in here."

The man chuckles, turning off the warner before grabbing the decanter from the stove. Pouring the drink in his mug labelled _COFFEE LOVER_ , he takes a drink before placing it down on the desk.

"Is that the reason why you decided to come here though, Martin?"

"Not really sir. As per your orders, all preparations for the sortie has been completed. Troops are ready to go."

The grizzled commander takes a sigh at this. "Excellent, DaCosta. Still, I would've preferred to never do something so drastic but after what happened to us, I can't let this go without some form of payback. I guess it has to be done."

"Huh? What are you talking about, sir?"

Andrew did not pay him any attention as he takes a drink of his coffee from his mug. "Man, this is the good stuff! I added a little Hawaiian Kona to the mix and boy does it feel nice. A good combination to boot too. I'll have to add this into my list."

Martin just shakes his head at his superior. At times like this where they are discussing ways countering guerrillas that is the Desert Dawn, here he is talking about the best coffee blends he can concoct. Of course, this is not the first time he has done this but Martin wishes he would take this situation a bit seriously.

"What about Viper, DaCosta? Is he ready for the mission?"

"He and his mobile suit are ready to go sir. Our engineers and technicians made sure his DINN is equipped for this sortie."

"Excellent. Let's not keep the men waiting, shall we?"

"Yes sir."

The two officers left the _Lesseps_ , heading down to the sandy desert floor to meet up with the assembled troops for the mission. Outside the landship, there are three BuCUEs plus a red and white custom DINN. Two jeeps face the mobile suits while the assembled troops stood right in front of Andrew and Martin.

"Alright gentlemen, break time's over. We'll begin our attack tonight. Clearly, the Desert Dawn and their allies, the _Archangel_ and her mobile suits, gave us an embarrassing defeat when we faced them in combat. Of course, we can't let this go unanswered so as proud forces under my command, we must properly discipline them like parents to naughty children. Martin, take it over."

Clearing his throat, he steps up before them. "Our target is the small town of Tassil! Pilots and drivers, get on board to your respective mobile suits and vehicles. We will begin our mission immediately."

They scrambled to get into their respective machines and vehicles. Viper hopped on VD's servo before the Titan brings him up to the cockpit. Cockpit hatch opening, he uses his jump kit to get in before closing the hatch. Activating a couple programs, pressing a few buttons and switches, the cockpit's HUD immediately flares to life, showing him a clear view of the desert landscape.

" **Welcome aboard, pilot. All systems are green across the board. Energy levels, 100%. Modified plasma railgun active. Cluster missile system, activated, tether trap systems, functional. Flight core activated for your service.** "

"Copy that, VD."

Seeing the BuCUEs beginning to move forward, the custom DINN activated its thrusters. Taking a step on the sand, the machine pushes up, unleashing its wings and aeroshell helmet before flying above the moving convoy.

The journey took a total of twenty to twenty-five minutes before stopping right on a cliff overseeing the town. Viper landed VD on the ground right next to the three BuCUEs. Stopping the jeep, Martin stands up from his seat, grabbing his binoculars to survey the area.

He zooms in to see if there is any activity going around the small African town. Seeing civilians taking a night stroll or vendors closing up shop, nothing interesting seems to taking place. He carefully looks through each rooftop and window to make sure there are no rebels guarding them. Seeing none, he zooms out to check on the city gates. Again, there are no guards on sight so he puts his binoculars down before reporting to Andrew.

"Sir, no sign of enemy activity detected. Looks like the rebels are calling it a night."

"Or you can consider the town and her citizens entering into an eternal slumber, relaxing its guard to rejuvenate its strength for the next day's toil." He takes a sigh before leaning his face on his hand. "Although most commanders in my position would immediately charge in guns blazing without giving them a warning, I'm not such a dick to these folks."

Martin looked at him with a raised eyebrow. Normally, you would storm an enemy's base when there is less activity buzzing around the location. You gain the advantage if you immediately surprise them with an ambush. Issuing a warning is counter-productive and not what a proper commander would do in this situation.

But Andrew Waltfeld is anything but a by-the-books commander.

"But shouldn't a proper commander immediately engage the town when it concerns the enemy? Giving the citizens a heads-up ahead of time would prompt them to warn the rebels right to our positions and foil the whole point of the mission. Can't we just proceed on as plan, sir?"

"Again, yes, but our enemies are the Desert Dawn and the _Archangel_ , not the civilians. Our objective is to weaken the enemy by destroying any supplies, munitions and gear they'll use against us. We're not here to waste everybody on sight. Order a warning to the townsfolk before we engage in fifteen minutes."

Martin blinks at him making the grizzled commander raise an eyebrow at him. "Well what are you waiting for? Unless you wanted to be convicted of a war crime, you better hurry up and tell them."

"Erm…uh…right! On my way!"

Leaving the jeep, he hopped to another one before they departed to the town. Andrew watched intently as the redhead officer issued his warning to the townsfolk via a megaphone. Sending the message several times, they returned back to their posts with Martin hopping back to the jeep.

"Sir, warnings have been issued out. I don't know if they all listened but…"

The Desert Tiger waved off his concerns. "Oh don't you worry about a single thing, DaCosta. When they hear the missiles coming down on them, they'll start scooting."

He grabs the small walkie-talkie from the jeep, issuing out orders to his troops. "Alright boys, go ahead and start sending the signal to leave the town. The sooner we do this in a swift manner, the better!"

He turns to the custom DINN. "Alright Viper. You're taking the lead. I know you're a good pilot but I want to make sure you don't kill a civilian. Can you do that for me?"

The custom mobile suit nods its helm right at the Desert Tiger. "Copy that. Tiger Team on me."

With the Northstar turned DINN taking to the skies, the BuCUEs immediately descend down to the ground to begin their attack on the small town. Once the quadruped machines reached the town, the leading one ordered the other two to split up.

"Alright boys, time to break off! Once you're in position, unleash them but make sure you don't hit any civies. Last thing I need is to tell the boss you accidentally killed a single one thanks to a careless lock-on."

The two BuCUEs went to their respective positions, flanking the town while Viper and VD hover in the air. The custom DINN opened up its missile compartments located on the chassis before releasing a salvo right on the streets. The warheads pounded on the dusty roads, causing the entire town to shake.

As expected, the civilians of Tassil got out of their houses, terrified at the bombardment suddenly hitting them at such a time. They begin to evacuate their homes in a hasty manner, avoiding the missiles that are heading straight at them in such an unpredictable, terrifying pattern.

To make matters worse, they have to go around the large holes littered around the roads making it another hurdle they have to overcome.

Still, despite the sudden attack, they were able to leave the ruined town with everybody intact. They watch in sadness and horror as the ZAFT mobile suits continue to burn their homeland to ashes.

Back with the four mobile suits, the BuCUEs smashed through the gate via their tank mode while Viper and VD are still in the air carefully scanning through the now ruined Tassil. Lazily moving around the air, Viper saw some buildings containing caches of supplies and munitions. Using his Flight Core, he unleashed a barrage at several buildings reducing it down to rubble and bits.

"VD, scan the area for more hidden caches."

" **Affirmative. Proceeding to scan the area for enemy supply caches.** "

A beam emerged from the monoeye of the aerial unit, scanning the area more closely as they idly strafe around the air. Marking a couple within the HUD, Viper proceeded to use the modified plasma railgun. He unleashed a couple powered shots within quick succession. The buildings and supplies were reduced to bits thanks to the powered shots thanks to his armament.

With the city razed and in flames, the team got an incoming call from Andrew.

"Nicely done but we're not done here. I don't know the exact number of hidden caches they have in town but I'm pretty sure the rebels have a stockpile of them stored somewhere else. There should be some fuel, munitions, food, water, gear and vehicles stored in the caves. Search and destroy them. If you face some resistance, eradicate them."

The BuCUEs and the custom DINN immediately set their sights on their caves right behind Tassil. Immediately VD scans the entire mountain range to mark the caches stored in the caves. Seeing quite a hefty supply in each cave, he gave the marked locations to the BuCUE squad.

"Tiger Team, this is Viper-One. Tagged all caches in the mountain range. Sending coordinates to you."

Sending the coordinates of the marked caches to each BuCUE, the three quadruped machines moved in. "Coordinates received. Many thanks Viper. Boys, move in!"

As they advanced towards the cave, the civilians standing there stood in fear as the approaching machines moved towards them. No doubt, the menacing Desert Tiger gave them orders to kill them in one swing. Yet surprisingly, the lead BuCUE went on his radio to broadcast his warning.

"Attention all civilians of Tassil! We're about to destroy the caves. If you don't want to be killed, then move out of the way. I repeat, we're about to destroy the caves. If you don't want to be killed, then move out of the way at once."

Not needing to be told twice, they scurried off to a safer distance to make sure they do not get into the crossfire. Locking on to the caves, the BuCUEs immediately unleashed their warheads right in, destroying the supplies and munitions.

Viper and VD stood on guard, making sure the BuCUEs did their job undisturbed. As the remaining caves are mopped up with warheads, the mercenary spotted a jeep carrying four rebels driving away from the site. No doubt these guys will be reporting to their head boss or commander at the situation developing at Tassil.

Taking aim, he sets his sights on the retreating jeep before pulling the trigger. The powered railgun shot ripped through the vehicle like knife cutting through butter. The jeep stumbled one second before it blew up just as the bullet went through it.

"Care to explain what just happened over there, Viper? I just saw you taking aim at something." asked Andrew.

Lowering his railgun, he flew over to Commander Waltfeld's position. "Tally neutralizing bandit."

As he flew over, the BuCUEs followed suit. With the machines linked up back to the convoy, Martin returned to his side.

"Well, is it over already?" asks Waltfeld.

The redhead officer nods his head to him. "Yes sir."

"Casualty report, DaCosta?"

He blinked for a bit before looking back at Andrew. He just warned the civilians about an hour ago and he is asking about a casualty report?

"Erm…casualty report sir? I don't seem to understand it sir. It's not like we fought any rebels in Tassil or lose any pilots during the sortie."

"Viper just took out some enemies overlooking our activities for the night. Aside from those hostiles our pilot eliminated, did we lose any civilians within the bombardment?"

"Oh...well...I guess so. There may have been a civilian that tripped or got slightly burnt but I don't think we've gotten anybody killed during the bombardment."

The man nods his head, relieved that it is already over. Seeing the sun starting to rise up in the sky, he motions the men to head out. "Looks like we've done our job. Let's get outta here before an angry mob of husbands meet us guns blazing."

Martin looks at him incredulously. Did they not go through this trouble to lure out the insurgents and finish them once and for all?

"But sir! Didn't we just destroy Tassil to lure them out and engage them? Not burn the whole city down and leave?"

Andrew blinks before looking right at Martin. "Now come on, Martin. We didn't burn their town just to lure them into meeting us here. We may have mobile suits but you also have to remember that they made an alliance with the _Archangel_. You also have to know that they have their contracted mercenaries with them who pilot mobile suits as well so we'll be at a disadvantage."

"So this whole entire time, we're not trying to lure the enemy to us?"

"Of course not! We met our objective already which is to teach the enemy a lesson. Besides, it'll be hard for them to get their much-needed supplies thanks to the raid we did. They'll now have a tougher time engaging us since we took out their source of sustenance and resistance against us."

Taking the small walkie-talkie, he orders his troops to retreat. "Alright folks, let's head back to the _Lesseps_."

Placing it back down, he gives the nod to Martin to start driving. The officer turns the jeep around before heading out in the desert with the mobile suits following them, leaving the destroyed town behind.

* * *

Back in the _Archangel_ , the story of the Frontier ended with the hangar bay returning back to normal. Disconnecting the wires from BT, the Cosmic Era residents pondered about what they witnessed already. Unfortunately, they would not have the time to reflect on their discoveries thanks to Sahib's radio beeping wildly.

Taking the device, he presses the button to hear a frantic voice at the other end of the line. "Sahib! You've gotta come over here this instant! We got a bad situation developing over here."

This confused the Desert Dawn leader as he wondered what caused them to panic in such a manner. "Talk to me. What's the matter over there, Mohannad?"

"The sky's burning right at the direction of Tassil!"

The news immediately stunned the rebels. Tassil already attacked? Especially so early in the morning?

"The hell? Tassil's being attacked?"

"Goddam that Desert Tiger. My mom's bedridden and sick! I just hope she got out of there on time."

"Same here! I need to check up on my wife and kids."

Ignoring the outrage reactions from his men, Sahib focuses on the task at hand. "How did this happen?"

"We sent a patrol to make sure the town is secured. They didn't return to base so I thought they're taking their time to make sure Tassil is secure. It's been thirty minutes ever since so I along with a few others went over there to see flames and rubble in the distance. I fear the Desert Tiger snuck in and attacked us with our guard down."

The man gritted his teeth. Blast the damn Desert Tiger. To attack them when they are vulnerable, especially in a town full of unarmed civilians where there are mostly elderly, women and children?! Damn that man to hell. Taking a weary sigh, he gives out his specific instructions to him.

"Alright Mohannad listen up. I want you and your team to head over there and see if the people have evacuated. We'll be there immediately so stay put."

"Got it!"

Closing off the radio, he looks over to the assembled rebels in the white vessel. "Alright listen up! I want half of you to remain here in the base to set up some tents to treat the injured. I want medical supplies at the ready."

Of course, this did not sit well with the rebels, especially when the lives of their families are at stake.

"You want us to stay here while the Desert Tiger is out there razing the whole place to ashes?! You gotta be out of your goddamn mind to say that to us!"

"Yeah! For all I know, the bastard killed my wife and kids!"

"Hell no am I gonna stay here and let the Desert Tiger fuck with us! We have to get at him and his forces immediately!"

Sahib frustratingly rubs his eyebrows before calming down his already rowdy forces. As much as he understands their sentiments and their willingness to teach the man a lesson, being rash will only get themselves killed. He already lost good men to the Desert Tiger due to their brazen behavior and he will not continue to have more added to the list.

"Calm down everybody! I know you're all mad at what the Desert Tiger did to your families and our town. I completely understand your sentiments but we can't recklessly go there and meet him head on. For all we know he probably has a secondary force waiting for us. I want half of you to remain here in case things go down south while the others are to head over to Tassil. Understand?"

Despite their unwillingness to idly sit by while their hated enemy is terrorizing their home, they complied to his orders. He looks over to the Murrue. "You have some medical staff members that can help our families out?"

"Yes sir. We do."

"Very well. Once we get the tents ready, set up the medical supplies there. I know it's a bit embarrassing to ask this but…"

The woman smiled at him. "There's no need to be, Sahib. We know your men have families in need of help and we'll do whatever we can to make sure they'll be taken care of."

Giving her a nod of thanks, Davis came up to the grizzled man. "What about us boss? You want us to stay here with the _Archangel_ or come with you?"

"I want you two to come with me in case the Desert Tiger is waiting for us. For all I know, he may be doing this to lure us out. Get in your machines and head out with us."

Sahib, Davis, Droz and the entire Desert Dawn left the _Archangel_ while the Earth Forces crew looked over, unsure about what they will do about the situation they are in at the moment.

Mu crosses his arms across his chest as he watches them leave the hangar. "The Desert Tiger razing a whole entire town? Damn, I never knew the guy was that ruthless. Then again, I don't know much about him other than he's a brilliant commander who captured Africa by storm during Operation: UROBOROS."

He then looked at Murrue. "What do you think we should do?"

"Launching the _Archangel_ is out of the question since it's secured to the base. Still, we must be ready to fight at a moment's notice. As Mr. Ashman mentioned, Commander Waltfeld may have a secondary force waiting for them."

She then looks back at him. "Well then, Commander La Flaga, will you be heading out there?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Me? Why's that the case?"

"The Skygrasper is the quickest vehicle to get to Tassil, right? Perhaps you can head over with the aircraft to see what's going on over there."

Thinking about it for a moment, he agreed to her request. "Well I guess a little report wouldn't hurt. I'm game. Just let me get myself suited up and I'll head out there."

He immediately left the hangar via the lift, heading straight to the pilot room while Natarle hopped on one of the jeeps with three more crew members. BT returned to the recharging station while Jack went over to Murrue's side. As everybody is about to head back to their usual posts, Cooper secretly held his girlfriend's hand which she enjoyed very much.

"So, what's the plan?"

"For now, we'll let Mu and Natarle see what's going on over at Tassil to get a read on the situation. Once we get the clear picture, we'll go from there."

"Sounds good to me. I'll be up in my quarters chilling out for a bit. If you need me, I'll be there."

"Then I shall return to my post. I'll see you around."

Before she can move to the lift, Cooper immediately brought her hand to his lips, kissing it. The blushing woman was a bit flustered at the sudden small gesture but she never protested. If anything, she liked it.

Seeing his girlfriend's reaction, he grins a bit before leaving the hangar, heading to his quarters. The brunette captain stared at the lift for a minute, her blush still on her face. She can feel her hand tingling, in a good way, at Cooper's small kiss. She plants her hand on her cheek, taking a sigh at her boyfriend's habit of showing small affectionate gestures to her.

"Oh Jack. Someday, you'll be the death of me someday. I just know it. Of course not that I don't mind or anything…"

She left the hangar, heading back to the bridge to wait Mu's report on the Tassil situation.

* * *

Sahib and his crew made their way to the burning town with Natarle and the _Archangel_ crew members following behind while Mu flew over them. Advancing over the moving convoy, he went a few passes to get a good look around the devastated city only to find flames, rubble, and large potholes which he assumed to be from the warheads.

"Man this isn't good at all. He and his crew definitely did a number on this place. Wonder if anybody made it out from the sudden raid."

From the corner of his eye, he saw some flames burning right on the mountain range. Deciding to investigate it more closely, he swerved his Skygrasper to the mountain. He saw caves burning brightly due to the flames still raging in them.

"Not only did he raze the whole city but destroyed their supplies. Definitely total destruction."

Looping back to return to the convoy, he surprisingly saw all the townspeople gathered outside Tassil, watching their home's demise from the Desert Tiger. He expected to see a few of them but never the whole entire populace.

He turned on the radio to report back to Murrue about the situation. "La Flaga here. The situation just got interesting."

Murrue's face appeared on the Skygrasper's windshield, raising an eyebrow in confusion at his report. "What do you mean by interesting, Commander La Flaga?"

"The entire town is definitely wrecked but surprisingly, I saw the townsfolk gathered outside. I expected a few of them to be standing but it seems the entire town made it out from the sudden raid. I seriously have no idea how this is the case but I guess we should be thankful nobody died in the attack."

"And the enemy? Is there a secondary force waiting for us?"

"I don't see them. They bailed once their job is done. I'm about to link up with them at the moment so I'll notify you once we get this sorted out."

"Alright. Stay safe out there."

Closing the line, he flew over to meet up with the convoy. Landing the aircraft near them, he hopped off the cockpit before taking off his helmet. He saw the rebels linking up with their families, relieved to see them safe and sound. Some began to treat the injured, loading them up to the spare jeeps they have so they can get full treatment at their base.

"Commander La Flaga!"

Looking back, he sees Natarle along with a few other _Archangel_ crewmen hopping off their truck. "What happened over here, Commander La Flaga?"

He jerks his thumb at Tassil. "Just look over there. The whole scene speaks for itself."

Before the raven-haired lieutenant can say anything, Sahib began giving out orders to both his men and the townsfolk. "I want all able-bodied people to begin loading up the injured in the spare jeeps immediately. The sooner we get them to the base, the better. Make sure they-"

"Sahib!"

The grizzled man stops to look at the elderly man and his son, astonished yet relieved that they are still standing in one piece. Cagalli popped from his side to see the boy and the town chief safe and sound.

"Yaru! Chief! Thank goodness you're alive."

The elderly man smiled at her while the boy nods to her. Sahib breathes a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness, you're okay. Where's your mother and Nene?"

"Mom got injured but she's okay. Old man Shamsedin fell so I had to help him out."

The man smiles at him, proud that despite the chaos and destruction that wreaked the entire town, his son is able to help somebody. He proceeds to place his hand on his head before affectionately rubbing it. "Good job son. I'm proud of you for doing that."

Turning back to the chief, he wanted to know the casualty count from the surprise raid. "How many did we lose during the attack?"

"We are fortunate enough that no lives were lost in the attack. They warned us ahead of time before they begin to set the town ablaze."

This shocked everybody. The Desert Tiger warned them ahead of time before they begin to attack the town? Since when did he care about civilian casualties when it comes to a surprise raid? This is quite unusual for a ZAFT commander to have his troops issue a warning ahead of time before they begin to burn Tassil down to the ground.

"W-what? Not to discredit your words or anything but are you certain of this?"

The elderly man nods to him. "Why yes. I too was quite surprised to hear something from a military commander but alas, we're all here. Despite the miracle that we survived this attack, we're left with nothing. The Desert Tiger and his men took out our food supply, fuel, munitions…everything. Nothing has been left untouched by him and his forces."

He takes weary sigh before looking back to Sahib. "With nothing left, how are we expected to live on?"

The Desert Dawn leader gritted his teeth, angry at what the man has done to their town. "Damn bastard. What the hell is he thinking?!"

Mu decided to speak but of course at an ill-opportune time. "Well as long as you're alive, there are ways to survive right?"

Everybody looked at him, confused and angry at what the ace pilot just said to them.

"The Desert Tiger has no intentions on engaging you in a serious battle after the defeat we gave him. This is likely his payback method for handing him his first loss. Quite kind of the Tiger to actually issue a warning before he attacked the town."

Of course not everybody is pleased with how he worded his statement. Even Davis and Droz, who are listening in the conversation from their mobile suits, knew it was a bad idea to say it in front of people who are now homeless from the attack.

"Seriously man? I mean I get it he means well but man could he have said it a bit differently?"

Droz just shrugs at him over at the private channel. "Well he is true about the Desert Tiger being nice enough to give warnings about the inevitable raid. Still, he should've read the situation before saying something that'll stir up a hornet's nest. At least I know when to shut up and this is one of them."

Cagalli, of course, lashed out at the ace pilot. "What the hell do you mean by that?! You call burning a town and everything in it kind you damn bastard?! I'm pretty sure you don't even know the word kind because this isn't so you dumbass!"

Mu backs up a bit with his hands raised in front of him. "I apologize if what I said made you upset but I think you're forgetting some here kid. You're fighting against ZAFT. They're an established army with professional soldiers in their ranks. They could've easily wasted every last one of you without a single warning but they were nice enough to at least give you a heads-up."

Of course Cagalli is not having any of it. "That guy's a cowardly bastard. They burn down Tassil while we're not even there to prevent it and you think that's victorious!? We fought courageously against his forces countless times and even destroyed their mobile suits with only basic equipment! Befitting a coward, he gets back at us like this. To hell with the Desert Tiger!"

After hearing the Orb princess's speech, the mercenary duo can only shake their heads at the events transpiring before them.

"Oh boy, blondie ace pilot definitely made things dicey. He made himself enemy number one on their list."

"Mhm, got that right Davis."

Sahib felt a tap on his shoulder to see one of his men behind him. "What is it?"

"You'll want to hear this."

He went over to the rest of the men to see them huddling over the radio, listening over the chatter. No doubt, there is a scouting party overlooking the Tiger's movement after the attack on Tassil.

"What seems to be the matter here?"

One of the rebels placed down the radio before looking back at their leader. "It hasn't been long since they left town. We can still catch up to them!"

The man's eyes widened in disbelief. Not about their departure but about his men trying to catch up to his forces.

"What?"

"They'll be low on ammo after the attack so we can still catch up to them! This is a chance to get even with him!"

"Yeah! We'll get him. We can't just sit around after being treated like this!"

Sahib, knowing what they are about to do is dangerous and downright reckless, tries to dissuade them from committing a mistake that will cost them their lives. "Don't be ridiculous! If you have time to go after him, then prioritize in taking care of the injured! Stay with your wives and children along with the elderly! That takes precedence than heading out and chasing after the Tiger. Be reasonable about this!"

The rebels, of course, did not agree, already fed up about not chasing after their enemy. "Be reasonable about this? And how's that gonna help us huh? Tassil's already finished! Everything's been burnt to the ground and you expect to sit around with our families and mourn about our loss?! You've gotta be kidding me!"

"Sorry Sahib but we're not letting this go unanswered. You're not telling us to let the Tiger own us like pets are you? Whether you like it or not, we're moving out."

With that, the rebels went on board the jeeps, heading off to catch up to Andrew Waltfeld. The man stared at them in disbelief and frustration at the recklessness of his men. A jeep pulled up next to him.

"Boss, we gotta go after them! As much as I understand they're feelings, it ain't the time to go after him. They'll be dead if we don't catch up."

"Right. Let's get going Edol!"

Cagalli was running up to the Desert Dawn leader. "Wait up!"

Just when she is about to hop on, Sahib pushed her to the ground. "I can't let you go on this one. I want you to stay behind and help out the people while I try and prevent my comrades from doing something reckless."

With that, they left. Cagalli coughed at the amount of sand being thrown in the air before Ahmed pulled up with Kisaka on board.

"Hop on in, Cagalli. We gotta go after them. Can't let them have the fun while we sit here and do nothing."

Grinning, she went on before they left to catch up with the rest of the crew. Mu and Natarle watched them leave with the former crossing his arms across his chest.

"Well what can I say? This is a land where the wind and the people get very heated."

"What they're doing is reckless. No scratch that. What they're doing is downright suicidal. They're chasing after them with rockets only and that's not enough to take down a group of BuCUEs. There won't be any survivors left if they begin to engage them."

He gives his usual grin to the raven-haired lieutenant. "You're right so what do you suppose we do?"

"E-eh?"

Ignoring her for a bit, he looks up to Davis and Droz getting off their machines with their weapons strapped to them. "What about you guys? Aren't you going to help your comrades?"

Droz shakes his head at him. "As much as we should, we need to get the civies to the base immediately. We have injured people from the surprise attack who need treatment ASAP and if they don't…well…you get the picture."

"Looks like we'll have to get Kira and Cooper over there to rescue them before they're wasted by the ZAFT commander himself." Getting on the Skygrasper, Mu turned on the radio to contact Murrue who is waiting for a word about the situation.

" _Archangel_ , this is me, La Flaga. The situation got...heated."

"Heated? What happened over there that made things _heated_ Commander La Flaga?"

"You see, the rebels decided to go ahead and chase the Desert Tiger after what he did to their town. Of course, Sahib tried to be reasonable with them, dissuading them to go after the man themselves but they just told him to go f himself and headed out."

Mu can see Murrue blinking in sheer incredulity about the situation. The rebels going after the Desert Tiger? Especially when all they have are rockets, landmines, and jeeps? It is just sheer insanity. To take their enemy head on with such mere equipment will result in many casualties.

"What? They're chasing after the enemy? That's just sheer insanity! Nobody would be alive from that excursion! What about Davis and Droz? Are they there to help them out?"

"The two are prioritizing the civies first just as Sahib ordered. Although there are some who aren't injured, there are others who aren't so fortunate. Right now, they're helping out their families get the treatment they need."

"Why didn't you do anything to stop them from attempting such a thing, Commander La Flaga?"

The man took a sigh before answering the brunette captain. "Hey, I wanted to tell them it's crazy to take them on but I said something that didn't sit well with them. They're so determined to go after him that if we do anything to stop their actions, they'll shoot at us."

He looks over to see the civilians trying their best to take care of the injured along with giving them some leftover food and water to help them out. "Besides, we have water and food issues thanks to the recent raid but do you have a plan to stop this disaster from happening to the rebels?"

She takes a moment to think about a way to mitigate this disaster before it gets worse. A minute or two after, she looks back to the blonde ace pilot. "I'll have Cooper and Ensign Yamato go on this mission. We can't let them get killed without doing anything to support them. It'll make us look bad in front of them As for the water and food situation, I'll round up a few crew members to send our share to them. For now, just stay with them until we can get this sorted out."

"Sounds good to me."

Closing the communication, Mu went over to Natarle, assisting her in treating the injured.

Back in the _Archangel_ , Kira and Jack are getting themselves geared up for the rescue mission. Hopping in their respective mechs, Cooper sees Kira hop in on the radio channel, clearly upset about the situation that's falling out of hand.

"This is ridiculous! What are they thinking about heading straight to the enemy with the stuff they're fighting? I mean I get it, you have every right to be mad at what the enemy did such as destroyed the town resulting in families being homeless but this is just pure idiocy."

The Militia hero just shrugs at him, turning on the HUD along with a few other programs in the cockpit. "That's what happens when you let your personal feelings get the best of you. You do things that aren't logical which leads you to paying a hefty price which is usually your life."

"I know but…geez…this is just…ugh. I won't deny it, I let my personal feelings get the best of me in certain situations but at least I know there are moments where we have to put them aside and focus on the logical strategy. These guys are hotheads, only focusing on getting even while disregarding their safety."

"But you have to remember, they're still our allies. If we don't do anything to save them, it'll make us bad garnering tense relations which we don't want if we ever want to reach to Alaska. Buckle up kid because we have a bunch of passionate hotheads to rescue."

Closing the line, the catapult opens up, the bright sun shinning before his eyes. Hopping on the channel, he contacted Murdoch on the line.

"Hey Chief! I need you to get my Guul ready. If we're about to catch up to the Desert Dawn, I need something to fly me over there."

"We'll launch it once you're out. Unlike a Striker Pack, we can't attach to BT's back so you'll have to wait for a few before we can launch it. Sounds good to you?"

"Sure thing. Just have it ready."

Cooper went first to launch from the _Archangel_ with Kira following suit. Since the Strike is equipped with the Aile Pack, Kira decided to go ahead of him.

"Cooper! I'll be heading out first if that's fine with you."

"That's fine kid. I'll be catching up to you once I get the Guul here."

The Strike turned around before heading out. A few seconds later, the Guul launched is immediately launched from the white vessel. Using the temporary boost the CGUE can use for atmospheric fighting, he landed right on top of the sublift unit. The Guul clamped on the pedes, locking BT to the device.

Shaking a bit, Cooper quickly adjusted the settings on the Guul to correspond with his trusty Titan before the settings read green across the board. Seeing Kira from the distance, he flew over to catch up. During their flight, Kira cannot help but notice the flight unit attached to his pedes and it is quite…peculiar looking.

"Cooper, is that the flight unit for the CGUE?"

"Mhm. It's called a Guul. Allows units like the GINN and the CGUE to stay airborne in the air for longer periods of time. Since those two machines are usually used for space combat, I have to use this if I want to stay in the air. We getting closer?"

"Yeah. I'm seeing them right now along with the force responsible for the Tassil attack."

"Alright. Let's head in before they get themselves killed."

As the two are homing in on the retreating ZAFT forces, Andrew is leaning back, idly watching the endless desert sand as they head back to the _Lesseps_ while Martin is scanning the area, making sure the rebels did not catch up to them and ambush them.

"Shouldn't we go a little faster, sir?" asks Martin.

Andrew continued to watch the scene pass before him. "You really want to go back quickly, don't you?"

"They'll catch up to us at the pace we're going at. We should be going a little bit faster than this."

"Not my problem. They'll be at a disadvantage since they're at the crossroads of their destiny."

"Erm…sir? What do you mean by that?"

"What I meant is, we don't have to worry about them if they do ambush us. A rocket launcher can't even put up a decent fight against the BuCUEs unless they put some sort of special warhead that can instantly take them out. Since they don't have said special warhead, we don't need to worry about them."

Taking a sigh, he looks right back at his officer. "I hear people say 'I'd rather die' so on so forth but do you really think they mean it?"

Martin again looks lost on what he just mentioned. Just then, one of the pilots in the BuCUEs went on the radio to contact them about incoming hostiles.

"Sir! I'm looking at a couple enemy signatures on my radar. Looks like they're from the resistance."

This shocked the redhead officer but it did not phase the Desert Tiger in the slightest. "Huh, looks like these guys truly want to die. Then so be it."

Already, the Desert Dawn vehicles immediately jumped in from the side, beginning to hit them with the rocket launchers. One of the rockets came close to hitting in front of them causing Martin to swerve the vehicle to the side to avoid getting hit in the process.

Grabbing the walkie-talkie from the radio, Andrew commanded his forces to fight back. "We have no choice but to fight. Team! Engage them!"

Speeding up to avoid more rockets being hurled at them, the BuCUEs immediately covered their retreat charging them head on. Viper and VD turned around to engage them from the air. Swooping down a bit, Viper locked on a couple targets before unleashing his Flight Core on them.

"Viper is on station. Visual is clear. I got good tone."

Unleashing them from the chassis, the warheads swooped down on them like angry hornets gunning for their victim. A few unfortunate jeeps erupted in explosions since they were not quick enough to escape from the ongoing hailstorm while the others swerved around the incoming barrage.

"Good hit. Good hit. Fox eight."

Once they are in the clear, a few of the Desert Dawn members got up from their seats, aiming their rocket launchers at the custom DINN while a few of the missile trucks locked their sights on the mobile suit. When they unleashed them, Viper danced around the warheads before aiming his modified railgun at the enemy vehicles. Unleashing all six powered shots, the vehicles were immediately incinerated, leaving nothing but shards of metal across the sand.

"Tangos neutralized."

A stray missile, out of nowhere, went straight at the custom DINN. The aerial mobile suit went straight at the raging projectile before flying over the warhead. Completely taken by surprise at the agility of the mobile suit, the machine hovered above them before being smashed down by the large servo.

While Viper and VD are using the rebels as target practice, the BuCUEs are having a bit of a struggle. Although the rockets launched at them from the attacking Desert Dawn members are not hitting vital areas or making some damages on their machines, they are starting to get fed up losing their footing and being jostled around in their cockpits.

"Enough is enough! If these ants want to die, then so be it! Boys! Time to eradicate them permanently!"

"Right sir!"

Splitting off, the BuCUEs immediately went in their tank modes. Stepping on their ignition, the three quadruped machines begin to chase after them in terrifying speeds. Although the rebels did their best to outrun them, the BuCUEs were faster. Not bothering to stop, they resorted to ramming the vehicles, killing them off one by one.

"Not so tough now are ya!?" taunted the leading BuCUE as he rammed three vehicles in succession.

Seeing their comrades getting destroyed by the mobile suits, Cagalli and Kisaka got up, aiming their RPGs at them. Seeing their aim is on point, the two fired. Much to their luck, the rockets nailed the BuCUE.

"Yes! Score one for us!" cheered Cagalli.

The BuCUE got out of its tank mode for a moment before locking its sights on them. "You won't get lucky this time fuckers."

Returning back to tank mode, the BuCUE chased after them. Ahmed did his best to confuse the pilot by switching left and right but the pilot is tenacious at getting even with them. Once the machine got close enough, the BuCUE immediately went on its normal mode before raising a paw at the escaping vehicle.

"Time to say goodbye rebel ants!"

Seeing what the quadruped machine is about to do, Kisaka immediately grabbed Cagalli before jumping off the vehicle. Ahmed, unfortunately, was not so quick on the uptake. He was immediately hit by the BuCUE's metallic paw, sending him airborne along with the totaled vehicle.

The BuCUE saw his handiwork before returning back to his team. "Taught you right pieces of shit."

Before the pilot can say anything, Viper immediately went on the radio, warning him about the incoming shots coming straight at him.

"Tiger Two, Visual. Tango has good tone on you, nine o'clock. Break forward."

Listening to the mercenary's orders, the pilot moved his BuCUE forward making the rocket miss. Seeing the source responsible for the shot, the pilot is about to head in only to see Viper homing in on the jeep.

The custom DINN moved flew above them, its crimson monoeye gleaming brightly behind its aeroshell helmet. Sahib loaded another rocket in before aiming straight at the ZAFT machine.

"Take this!"

Firing the rocket launcher, the warhead flew right at Viper's direction only for the straying projectile to miss its target after a sharp pull performed by the mercenary. Said mobile suit stood right in front of the vehicle, towering menacingly over the small automobile.

"Your journey ends here rebel. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide."

Sahib fired another one right at the custom machine only for it to tilt slightly to the side, letting the projectile sail by him. Lifting its leg, the machine is about to crush them only for a lone emerald beam sailing right at the custom DINN. Dodging the shot, the mercenary took up to the skies again. Viper saw two red signatures on his radar coming in to aid the Desert Dawn.

"VD, give me a visual on those tangos."

" **Affirmative. Two enemy signatures coming in to the battlefield with the first one being the GAT-X105 Strike and a ZGMF-515 CGUE. The CGUE, however, is bearing SRS and Militia insignias on its chassis. From the visuals I am getting, this one bears the numbers 7274 plastered the frame.** "

Viper was quite surprised to hear the most wanted man by the IMC, Jack Cooper, is still alive in this world. After being defeated in Typhon by him, he read up some information regarding the person who not only single-handedly killed his colleagues in the Apex Predators but destroyed the Fold Weapon, saving billions of lives from being obliterated in Harmony.

Despite working for ZAFT at the moment as a mercenary and the IMC not establishing a presence in this world, he still has an obligation to cash his head in the bank and provide a blow to the Militia's morale in the ongoing conflict.

Even if said terrorists are not here to witness it.

Still, if the IMC for whatever reason were to ever head into this world and look into it, then it is time to end the source responsible for their defeat at Typhon and prevent him from foiling any future plans they have in store.

" _So the Devil of Typhon is still alive? Time to say hello._ "

The mercenary and his Titan left their spot, heading straight at the custom CGUE riding on a Guul. Speaking of the unit, Jack and BT are harassing the BuCUEs with a hail of electric lead causing them to back up a bit. Loading another magazine in, Cooper made another pass around the three quadruped machines before harassing them with another storm of lead.

The three BuCUEs fired their missiles at the flying unit but the custom CGUE danced around the warheads, destroying some in the process with the modified MMI-M7S machine gun. Before Cooper can engage them again, a beeping noise alerted him.

Before he can do anything, the flying unit went passed him before aiming its sniper rifle at him. The enemy DINN fired powered shots at him that nearly hit not only BT but the Guul as well. Flying back, Cooper took a closer look at the unit. The mobile suit before him is the AMF-101 DINN wielding a modified sniper rifle that is similar to the one used by the Long-Range Reconnaissance GINN.

However, what alarmed Cooper is the paintjob of the machine. This one has a red, or rather crimson paintjob with a white symbol of the Apex Predators plastered on the chassis. Only one mercenary has that color scheme and he hoped to God it was not who he thinks he is.

Sadly, however, his radio channel confirmed his fears to be true.

"Viper's on station. I got good tone on bandit. Moving in to neutralize the threat."

The custom DINN fired consecutive three powered shots making him dodge those rounds. Just as the BuCUEs were about to fire, Viper told them to focus on the Strike.

"I got good tone on Bandit One. Focus fire on Bandit Two."

"You sure about that, Viper? That guy's tough from the reports we had yesterday during the fight…"

"Positive, Tiger Two."

Leaving him to face Cooper, the three BuCUEs focused their attention on the Strike. Cooper immediately fired a bunch of lead right at the custom DINN causing the enemy unit to dodge around it before he returned fire with a missile barrage.

Using his Vortex Shield to capture some of the missiles while dodging the rest, he returned it back to the sender only for the mercenary duo to move to the left. The warheads went straight at the desert floor, causing a large cloud of sand to erupt in the air.

Cooper gritted his teeth, his anger soaring through his entire being at how much he hated his bunch. "I thought I killed you back in Typhon, Viper. I saw your Titan go down from the _Draconis_. There's no way in hell you're still kicking and fighting."

Cooper fired a couple rounds only for Viper to swerve in the air before returning fire. "Premature assumptions there, Bandit. Should've checked to confirm the kill. Typical of you and your ratty bunch to assume you got me."

Cooper danced around the power shots to avoid BT and his Guul from getting hit before firing more arc rounds from the CGUE's Vulcan shield. "Well then. I won't make the same mistake and I'll make sure you stay dead."

Making another flanking pass on the Militia duo, Viper fired more powered shots right at them. "Hmph, I'd like to see you try. You may have a fancy Titan, but even your toy wouldn't save you this time."

Swerving around the sniper rounds, Cooper loaded another magazine before the firing right at the maneuvering unit. Only this time, he is able to nail the machine. "Try you say? Oh I won't try to kill you, Viper. I will send you straight to hell and that's a promise. I may have been away from the frontlines but I sure didn't stop practicing my piloting skills. Let's see who's the better fighter, shall we? BT, let's rumble."

" **Copy that Cooper.** "

The two Frontier pilots engaged against each other in a deadly dance of bullets and missiles, continuously outflanking each other. Meanwhile on the ground, Kira is engaging the BuCUEs though he has been able to render one BuCUE useless thanks to taking out the missile pack on its back.

Despite having taken off the missile pack, this mobile suit activated its twin beam saber, trying to engage the Strike in close quarter combat. During the exchange, Kira saw Cooper and another ZAFT unit engaging each other in a deadly fight. He wanted to assist his older brother figure in his fight against the mobile suit but the BuCUEs are keeping him occupied.

Besides, if he does try to assist him, he will probably get in the way and end up hitting him with friendly fire.

From a safe distance, Andrew Waltfeld, watches the two mobile suits engaging their units in their own fights. He watches Viper engaging the custom CGUE in a deadly aerial dance and while he is quite impressed with their mobility in the air along with the amount of fire exchanged between the two, with a few shots landing around their vicinity, he is more interested in the Strike engaging his three units.

"Well will you look at that. The Strike is equipped with a different set of armaments than the last time. I guess I shouldn't be surprised since the reports have said this unit is meant to be a versatile one on the field."

Martin maneuvered around the desert, steering away from the incoming electric lead hailstorm as the custom CGUE strapped to its Guul made another pass to engage Viper. The Apex mercenary fired another powered shot which landed to their right causing another cloud of sand to billow in the air.

"Dammit that was too close for comfort. Viper and the CGUE pilot really hate each other if they're going around the battlefield like this."

Andrew ignored his complaints as he continued to watch the Strike more closely. "But have you seen the aim of the beam? He already included the heat convection within the parameters? Truly impressive."

Putting his binoculars down, he grabbed his walkie-talkie to contact one of the BuCUEs with the missile pack on its back. "Kirkwood! Hop off and let me operate your BuCUE!"

"S-sir?"

Even Martin was surprised to hear him say it. "Commander sir! Are you sure about this?"

"Mhm. There are things that one cannot be sure unless they exchange fire." He turns back to the radio. "Kirkwood, retreat back and I'll take it from here."

"Right sir! On my way."

Retreating from the battlefield, Kirkwood parked his BuCUE next to him. The moment he parked his machine, Cooper and Viper swooped down only this time the former is using the Burst Core while the latter is swerving around the hailstorm making sure his armor is not shredded to bits.

Thankfully, the stray bullets only hit the sand. Some nearly came close but for the most part, they landed on the sandy floor. Immediately hopping off, Andrew got in the cockpit via the cable before heading over to the battle where the Strike is being occupied by the other two BuCUEs.

Speaking of Cooper and Viper, the two are at a stalemate. Trading lead and missiles at one another while utilizing their cores to inflict more damage against the other. They flew around the air, trying to get a flank on the other only to be outflanked again. The tango is becoming frustrating, tense, and deadly at each turn.

Despite the stalemate, the two are not unscathed. BT and VD have sustained damages during the exchange. The former sustaining some gaping holes on the left upper arm unit, upper right leg unit, and took off some major chunks of the skirt armor while the latter had the left two wings clipped, the left shoulder plate blown off, and the rear tip of the aeroshell helmet taken off. Some circuitry a bit exposed accompanied with burn marks all over the armor.

The two engaged again, exchanging bullets and missiles, insults, and cores at each other. Before they can continue their fight, an explosion erupted in the air before seeing two BuCUEs retreating from the fight. A blue profile picture of Andrew appeared on his HUD.

"Viper! We're heading back to base! We lost Marlon to the Strike and if we continue to engage him, we'll be toast."

As much as he wanted to continue fighting and take out Cooper, he has orders to follow. Still, this will not be the last time for there are other opportunities to take out this pilot. Before retreating, he unleashed his Flight Core right at the Militia hero.

Dodging it, Cooper unleashed his saved Burst Core at Viper, chasing at him while the core is still effect. During the duration of the core, the second BuCUE that was with Andrew got riddled with some Arc rounds, before detonating. The jeep also blew up thanks to a few stray bullets shredding it to bits. The BuCUE Andrew is piloting also got hit but it is only the left wing that got clipped causing him to stumble.

Once the Burst Core was over, the custom CGUE chasing after them stopped its pursuit staring at their retreat before heading back to the Strike. Andrew took a sigh of relief before turning to Viper.

"Seems to me the CGUE pilot you were fighting is quite the hothead. Chased after us, took out some of our men in the process and even clipped the left wing from Kirkwood's BuCUE."

Viper just grunted at the ZAFT commander. "He and his bunch are usually hotheads but they're not ill-tempered like the terrorists we're fighting."

"Still, you two were engaged in a lethal dance. If I wasn't facing the Strike, I would've watched it some more. Although I have to admit, he did a number on your machine but I can say the same for you doing some damage to the enemy's mobile suit."

Viper did not say anything making Andrew shake his head at him. Still, despite losing some men in the process, he had the honor of fighting the Strike for the first time. He had quite a thrilling experience, and from what he can tell, the pilot is quite skilled.

Too skilled if he may add, especially with the near calculated movements and accuracy he displayed on the battlefield.

" _What a pilot though. I never had so much fun in my life for a long time. Definitely Lady Luck is shining her smile on me this day. Till we meet again on the field, Strike pilot._ "

As the ZAFT forces retreated from the area, Cooper took a weary sigh, tired and upset at the battle. He is not upset about the amount of Desert Dawn members lost in their ridiculous attempt in getting even with the Desert Tiger but the revelation of Viper still alive and kicking after Typhon.

He assumed the damn bastard would not survive such a great height, especially after he damaged his thrusters in Typhon but it appears it will take more to kill this guy than swiping his ability to fly.

Even if it will kill him in the process, he will drag Viper down to hell if it is the last thing he does.

"Dammit. I wasted my Burst Core on one of Waltfeld's men and a jeep. I should've known he'd be that elusive thanks to his new machine. Still, I never knew Viper would be alive and here of all places. I thought I killed all those fuckers save Blisk. Ugh, this is really the worst day of my life."

" **I too assumed he will not survive from such a fall since the chance of survivability of a pilot and Titan falling down from the Draconis is around 10%. Even so, we must be prepared to fight Viper again and ultimately eliminate him before he engages the** _ **Archangel**_ **and her crew.** "

"I know, BT but trust me. We'll get him one way or another. If we can go toe-to-toe with him on Typhon, it wouldn't be any different now. We have to take him out even if we'll die in the process."

" **Agreed but we must be sure to utilize all other options before we take riskier ones. After all, I must uphold Protocol Three to make sure you are alive and well. Even if you do protest, I cannot lose another pilot. Not after what happened to Lastimosa.** "

"Noted."

Taking another weary sigh, he flew back to the Strike. Once he is near the prototype, he hopped off his Guul before walking over to the deactivated mobile suit.

"Kira, you still in there buddy?"

The young lad did not say anything for a second before he regarded Jack. "Yeah…Yeah I'm good. Just…tired."

"I feel you on that one."

Kira looked over to see, much to his surprise, BT damaged from his engagement with the red mobile suit. He never saw the Vanguard Titan taking that much damages, even when he took on one of the pilots from the Le Creuset Team. To see BT like this is definitely alarming and speaks volumes about the pilot's terrifyingly good skills against a person of Cooper's caliber.

The two pilots hopped off their machines to look at the devastation strewn around the battlefield. Only a few Desert Dawn members are left while shards of metal and tires from the jeeps lie on the desert floor.

He ran a hand through his face, shaking his head at the sheer loss of life from such hotheadedness. "Great, this is gonna be a pain in the ass to report this to Captain Ramius."

Kira, also upset about their brash actions, took a blunter approach at the rebels. "Are you guys trying to get yourselves killed? Do you really have a damn death wish to do this terrible stunt? Especially in a place where there's no reason to do such a thing?"

Cagalli narrowed her eyes at him, grabbing him by his pilot suit. "How dare you say that bastard! We're all fighting desperately to protect the people and things that we hold dear to us and you have to audacity to say such a thing?!"

Having enough, he got away from her grip and smacked her across the face. The rebels were astonished except for Kisaka and Kira who knew this would happen. "Really? Is that the answer?! What the hell can you protect with your feelings!? Tell me right now!"

Too shocked to answer thanks to his actions, Kira pointed right at the devastated vehicles littered across the sand. "That's what I thought. You and your comrades are so hotheaded and stubborn, you refused to listen to reason and logic! And look where it took you! You lost many of your comrades thanks to your stunt and we had to rescue your sorry asses to prevent the Desert Tiger from killing you all!"

Narrowing his eyes, he glared at all of them. "If this is what you meant by fighting desperately, then you lost the war to the Desert Tiger before you even began. Sorry to be damn blunt but if this is how you guys fight, then it's no wonder why your homes haven't been liberated in such a timely manner. This wouldn't have happened if you think with your heads than your rage. All of their deaths are on your hands."

He turned to Cooper, who only looked at him with a neutral face. "I'm heading back to the _Archangel_. I'm tired of this. Catch you later."

"Go ahead Kira. Tell Captain Ramius I'll be reporting this to her when I get back."

Kira went back into the Strike before leaving the area. The Militia pilot shook his head before looking at them.

"Well I guess this is what it feels like to learn things the hard way. You let your personal emotions take over you, your judgement is clouded, logic is thrown off the window, and your mind is in tunnel vision."

He looks at the rebels who are ashamed at their actions. "I agree solely with the kid but I wouldn't blame Sahib and those of a rational mindset. Your leader tried to be reasonable with all of you, prioritizing your families first before going after the Desert Tiger but all of you ignored him."

Putting on his helmet, he looks back at them. "Let this be a lesson to never do something like this ever again. We may be allies but if you keep this up, we'll reconsider our options."

Hopping in to BT, the custom CGUE climbed on the Guul unit before heading back to the _Archangel_ while the Desert Dawn members gathered their dead, or what is left of them, to bring back to the base for a proper burial.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Alright, we are done with this chapter. Phew that is quite a lot I wrote. But yes, we do have Viper make an appearance in this chapter along with his Titan, VD, in the mix. Now somebody said that the IMC, or Apex Predators for that matter, did not have sentient AIs installed in their Titans like the Vanguards do. And the fact that either Apex Predators or IMC utilize joysticks to pilot their Titans instead of the neural-link way the SRS Pilots in the Militia would use to pilot their machines.**

 **Well I would like to argue that it would not be the case here in this fanfiction. For one, I would imagine that the IMC would have their scientists, engineers, and programmers create these sentient AIs instead of the standard protocol AI. The IMC, while it is a large business empire, is also an army. And just like an army, they are looking for new, innovative technology help them achieve victory in their war. So I would imagine that after the Battle of Typhon, they are implementing sentient AIs into their Titans.**

 **(Just a note, the reason why I have VD be a sentient AI for Viper is because he is a mercenary and as you know, mercenaries have the best tools in their arsenal to get the job done. Why would it be any different for our professional mercenary am I right?)**

 **As for pilots manning their Titans, joysticks in the cockpit would not work in this case. If you watched the live action Titanfall 1 trailer, a woozy Militia pilot is being picked up by his Atlas Titan. When the Titan returned the pilot to the cockpit, there are no joysticks, or levers in them. The armrests immediately clamped to him using binders of sorts before the pilot resumes fighting the enemy Titan.**

 **You also have to remember that Viper's plasma railgun in Titanfall 2 is modified. Aside from gameplay reasons to make this boss fight hard for players to beat, his Plasma Railgun is a killer! One shot and your shields are down and out with some of your health taken out. Not to mention, in Titanfall 2 when BT bomb rushed Viper's Northstar, he was able to fire off multiple shots in quick succession. In multiplayer, you do not fire that many rounds with the Plasma Railgun even if you do not power up your shots. In Viper's case, however, he is able to fire that many rounds which does indicate it is modified hence why he can fire powered-up shots so quickly in this story.**

 **Placing this aside, I do have a question for all of you viewers out there. Should I keep Viper alive throughout the whole duration of the fanfic or just a portion of it? If I am keeping him alive, who will he work for once Waltfeld is presumed KIA in the African Arc? Also, Cooper will be getting a new machine in the future but for right now, he will stay put in the CGUE. It is a ZAFT one since the monoeye mobile suits will suit BT's data core. They also look cool in my opinion but that is my own opinion of course.**

 **Also do you want me to have Cooper and Davis meet Waltfeld? I mean Kira and Cagalli will be there to meet him but do you want me to have the two Frontier boys meet the Desert Tiger himself? Let me know in the review section.**

 **Anyways, I will see you on the next chapter and until then! Farewell.**


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

 **A/N:**

 **Hey there guys! This is Giriko-99 here and we are back with another chapter! Sorry if I have not been posting up this chapter because things have been a bit hectic lately. I had to help my parents out move my sister's stuff from her apartment back to our house since her college is closer. And for those of you who have moved from one place of residence to another, you know how difficult and tiring it is.**

 **Once those busy days are over, my brain is dead and I just have not been in a mood to write. I know it sounds like a lame excuse but trust me, when you have busy days in your schedule, your mood to write a chapter in your story just goes in the backburner.**

 **But yes, I am back to write and publish this for you guys.**

 **Last time, Andrew Waltfeld and his forces razed Tassil to the ground with minimal casualties during the raid. The Desert Dawn heard about this and decided to get even with the Desert Tiger which was the worst decision they ever did. Thanks to their stunt, Kira and Jack went to their rescue only for our Militia pilot to face against Viper in his custom DINN mobile suit. The Desert Dawn suffered heavy casualties while Andrew's forces lost two pilots and a jeep.**

 **I have read your reviews about a couple questions I asked in the last chapter and I will get to my responses about them down at the end.**

 **So without further ado, let the curtains part and let the play begin!**

 **Legend:**

 **Hello – BT-7274 or Titan speaking.**

 _ **Hello**_ **– Thoughts, or flashback.**

 **Hello** **– Radio communications, news media outlet.**

 **Disclaimer: Titanfall belongs to Respawn Entertainment while Gundam SEED belongs to Sunrise and directed by Mitsudo Fukuda.**

* * *

 _Jack Davidson Cooper's Log Book 5.1_

 _Things have been quite…interesting to say the least. After saving the Desert Dawn members from their suicidal stunt to get even with the infamous Andy Waltfeld, the casualty count wasn't so pretty. From the 30 or so rebels that chased after the commander, only 7 people survived the assault. Could've been worse if we didn't show up but we did and saved them._

 _When I reported this to Murrue, she was glad they survived but was clearly upset at their carelessness. I left the part about Kira yelling at them since she didn't need to know it. Last thing he needs is to be yelled at by my girlfriend and from the steaming head he has, he'll probably lash out at her which'll get him into more trouble._

 _But that wasn't the most…interesting part. Much to my frustration and anger, the bastard Viper is still alive. How the hell he's still kicking I wouldn't know. I knocked the fucker's jet booster from his Titan back in Typhon and the fall should've killed him since it's quite a long ways to go if you plummet down from such a great height but I stand corrected._

 _Now he's here in this timeline working for ZAFT. Argh, things are gonna be tough from here on out. I bet you he'll be chasing us on our way to Alaska and be paired up with those G-Unit pilots we fought back in space._

 _Thankfully, we have Rena, Kira on our side along with Mu and Jane. The latter two have their units outfitted with Arc weaponry which will be a major help if they're ever to tangle with the prototype mobile suits or Viper's modified Northstar Titan. If Davis and Droz were to hop in on the Archangel, then that's great. Sure, you can say it's overkill to have them come on board but man it'll be good to have some back up in case things go down south._

 _When I mean by things going down south, I mean either BT is out of commission or if I ever get killed in battle. Hopefully it won't come down to that but if it does…well...it was nice knowing you guys._

 _Still, I just hope we don't have anymore IMC or IMC-affiliated mercenaries showing up here but it may jinx us in the process. Not something I'd like to have when it comes to us stuck in the middle of ZAFT-controlled territory._

 _Jack Cooper, Pilot of BT-7274, 41st Militia Rifle Battalion._

* * *

A few days after the disastrous attempt to get even with the infamous Commander Waltfeld and his forces, things were just hectic. Food, water, and medical supplies are dwindling thanks to aiding some of the families from the destroyed town of Tassil. It was not only hard for the Desert Dawn to aid them but it was harder on the _Archangel_ and her crew since they shared their rations with the folks here in Africa.

Adding more to the stress is their upcoming operation to root out ZAFT from Africa and allow the _Archangel_ to get to the Pacific Ocean. This would not have been an issue had they not been held hostage in the Artemis and ZAFT taken out the Eighth Fleet's advance forces helping stock whatever necessities they need on their shelves so to speak.

Thankfully, Sahib has a contact in Banadiya who has a hold on the supplies they need. Of course, both parties did not want to head in to the Desert Tiger's main base since it is heavy with enemy presence but they have no choice in the matter. Either head in and grab what they need or ultimately lose their fight against him.

Branching off from the seriousness of the situation into more personal matters, Murrue is quite concerned for Cooper. His behavior changed a bit from his usual calm, nonchalant, teasing, loving self to a cold, calculating person.

He spent most of his time in the hangar, heading into the cafeteria to grab a bite before heading back to the hangar to work on BT. He only slept for at least three, if not four hours. Not only did Mu, Jane, and Rena noticed this but so did Murrue. Especially with the brunette-haired captain since she is starting to ignore her in their private moments, not cuddling or teasing her at all. Most of the time, her bed would be empty throughout the night which frustrated and worried her.

Deciding to put a stop to this, she asked…err more like interrogated, about a detail that happened back at the rescue mission. The Militia pilot refused to spill it to her, deflecting it by saying it is okay or there is nothing to worry about. Of course, this did not fool her since she can clearly see the anger swelling within her boyfriend. Deciding to stop this charade, she instantly placed her foot down and demanded him to tell her.

When was about to tell her off, he looked straight at her brown eyes which told him go try fuck with me and see what happens. Knowing arguing with his superior officer and girlfriend is a futile endeavor, he relented, spilling the beans to her.

After telling her everything, she was quite stunned to hear Viper not only alive but is working for ZAFT, piloting a customized DINN. Just like Cooper, she too thought the man would not survive since his damaged Titan fell off the _Draconis_ during the Battle of Typhon. After all, she saw the results of the battle between the two during the reveal. The height is quite tremendous and any pilot being able to survive such a fall was slim to none but the Apex Predator mercenary proved them otherwise.

Despite the new enemy they have to face on Earth, she stowed it in the backburner for the moment, concentrating on their relationship. She immediately told her boyfriend to stop this nonsensical behavior. Not only is he affecting his health and mood but their relationship as well. A moody boyfriend equals a moody girlfriend and that is the last thing she wants from this relationship.

Again, knowing that arguing with her would be worthless, he changed his attitude. If not for himself, then for her.

That aside, let us head back to business. Aside from their main mission to grab their much-needed necessities, the Frontier pilots decide to attend matters of their own. Davis and Droz have a contact in Africa, whom they met prior to coming to Africa, and they wanted Jack to meet him.

Initially he was hesitant about this, opting to help out with the supply mission but when Davis pointed out to him about BT's damaged state after fighting Viper, he relented. Besides, the former 6-4 mercenary mentioned that their contact has already retrofitted the gear to be suitable for Titan usage.

The Militia hero was quite surprised to hear Davis tell the contact that their mechs are not mobile suits but Titans but the mercenary assured him the guy is a trustworthy person. Not to mention, having some modified gear to look through and see what would best fit BT would go a long way in future engagements against Viper.

In the Archangel, Murrue did a few things before leaving the task to Duane. "Alright, things should be set and ready to go, Admiral Halberton. Again, sorry for leaving this under your care but…"

The man held his hand up, stopping her from apologizing. "Enough, Captain Ramius. It's not a big issue for me to do this. I know this mission is of dire importance so I'm allowing you to partake in it. Besides, you need to be out a bit more. If things get hairy here, I'll be here to stop it."

"Thank you very much sir. I'll entrust the _Archangel_ to your care."

"No problem. Good luck in your endeavors, Captain Ramius."

Saluting him, she immediately left the bridge to head down and get herself dressed. While that was going on, Miriallia, Tolle, and Sai are conversing with one another in the CIC section of the ship.

Miriallia sighed before looking to her boyfriend. "Geez, I'm starting to have some trouble relaxing around the ship."

Tolle looked at her confused. "Why's that the case, Mir?"

"Without Kira, Jack, or Rena around to protect the ship, it'll be up to us to do it. I mean I understand we shouldn't rely on them too much in battle but those ZAFT pilots are tricky to defeat…"

"Eh, it'll be fine. Besides, it wouldn't be a long-term mission that'll last for a week. They'll be back before night. I don't see why you'd be worried anyways. Also, you seem to forget we have some good pilots with us on the ship like Commander La Flaga and Miss Houston. Not to mention, Admiral Halberton will be the one in charge of the _Archangel_ while they're away so we're not 'defenseless' as you'd call it."

"True I guess…"

Tolle went over to Sai's station, checking to see if the are any hostiles around the perimeter. "How's it going over there Sai? Anything suspicious on the radar?"

The bespectacled teen shakes his head at him. "None that I can see. Everything seems quiet for the moment."

"It may be quiet, but we must remain vigilant at all times."

The three teens looked up to see Admiral Halberton standing coming down to them. They all stood up, saluting before him.

"At ease crewmen."

Relaxing, Duane clears his throat before looking at them. "The enemy might not be attacking us at the moment but we must be ready in case they do. If there's anything suspicious on the radar, notify me immediately."

"Yes sir!"

Outside the _Archangel_ , two jeeps are parked in front while three mobile suits stood behind the two vehicles. In the first jeep are Kira, Cagalli, Kisaka and Rena while the second jeep had Sahib, Murrue, Natarle and Jackie. All of them, minus the Frontier Trio, are dressed in their outside clothes.

"Again, are you sure this is a wise idea to go out in the open with your mechs to meet your contact? Wouldn't it be safer to use the trucks to carry whatever gear you would need and test it out here in the base?" asks an incredulous Murrue.

Davis waved off her concern. "Of course it is, Miss Ramius! Besides, it's not Cooper who's getting the goods. We'll be getting our fair share too so we have to bring our Titans over to him and see if any of the gear he has is compatible with our friends."

"Besides, we'll be doing some simulations runs over there to test the equipment's effectiveness so having our Titans with us is beneficial for our meet up." added Droz.

Seeing the determination in them, the _Archangel_ 's captain gives them a nod. "Very well. If you're sure about this, then so be it. Still, if you do run into a lone ZAFT patrol, please do exercise caution, and if you can, please don't make a huge noise about it. Last thing we need is for Commander Waltfeld and his forces to converge on your position and have a field day."

The Frontier Trio just shrugged their shoulders. If anything, Waltfeld and his forces should be careful about engaging them out in the open lest they have a death wish in mind.

"Anyways, good luck in your mission you three. I hope things go well between you and your contact."

Before they left, Cooper went to Kira's side, P2016 in hand and a few magazines with him. "Hey Kira! Remember the gun lessons I gave you?"

The young lad nods his head to him. During their stay here in Africa, Cooper along with Rena trained Kira in using firearms. Initially hesitant about this since he views firearms as an evil he never wants to touch, the two convinced him otherwise.

Just because you fight in a mech for most of the time does not mean you go unarmed. There will be times where a pilot will be out of his machine to engage in shootouts with other pilots and/or other infantry soldiers. Such engagements are few and far in between since mechanized warfare, especially mobile suit warfare, is the new way to fight battles, there are instances where infantry tactics are still being used in different parts of the front.

Besides, it is a rule of thumb for pilots to always be armed in case their units encountered mechanical issues.

Despite his hesitance, Kira understood their logic so he went into the firing range, shooting at targets while Cooper and Rena correct his mistakes. Within that short span, he is hitting targets left, right and center with deadly accuracy.

"Here's my P2016 Pistol. I could've given you something better but I don't think any of it will be concealed in your outfit that'll make you fly under the radar. Regardless, I don't want you to go in Banadiya unarmed. The place is heavy with ZAFT forces but you may never know what might happen. You may end up dealing with some of Waltfeld's forces or extremist cells that aren't in league with the Desert Dawn."

He hands him his service pistol which he accepts before placing it inside his pocket before taking the few magazines he is holding. "Weapon's in safety since I don't want you to accidentally shoot yourself with it. If you do get in a shootout, take it off before firing. Here's some mags for you to use in case you ran out but don't waste them recklessly. Understand?"

"Got it."

"Good. Use it in case you have to defend yourself. Remember, aim at a target before pulling the trigger."

"Right."

"I would say don't get yourself in trouble but you have Rena and Cagalli to keep you in line so I have nothing to worry about."

The young lad sweatdrops at his brother figure. Since when did Jack consider him a trouble magnet? He tries to recall a time where he is the one who instigated trouble but there has not been a situation where he is the one to instigate it.

Or at least that is what he remembers in the back of his mind.

"Anyways, get a move on. I got a contact to meet and greet. Meet you back at the base later."

The two jeeps turned their engines on before leaving the base. Seeing them leave, the three pilots hopped in their Titans with Cooper activating the Guul. The device hovered in the air for a bit before boarding it.

Immediately, Davis's face appears on left side of the cockpit's HUD. "Hey Coop! Since we don't have those fancy flying thingies you have there, you'll be taking point to notify us of baddies trying to take us out. Sounds good to you?"

"Sure thing pal. Just make sure you don't shoot me out of the air."

"Ah, it'll be fine man! Besides, your signal is clear as day compared to the other mobile suit signals so we won't shoot you down."

Closing the line, the three headed over to their contact, with Jack taking to the air while Davis and Droz are on the ground, moving at their own pace.

* * *

The city of Banadiya is bustling with activity. The citizens are out in the open, proceeding with their business as usual. Families are out in the streets, grabbing their daily groceries in the bazaars, with the parents herding their children preventing them from going further from their reach. Some of the food vendors on the street are calling out to any hungry customers if they wanted to have something to eat.

In the apartments, you can see some of the residents either airing their laundry out in the sun or sitting outside, taking a smoke, or listening to the radio about some of the latest news and/or trends. Due to their close proximity to each other, some of the residents are talking over to their neighbors, chatting about what has been going on in their lives or getting the latest gossip in town.

Overall, is just the normal day in the city. Arriving in the city are the two jeeps containing the disguised Desert Dawn and _Archangel_ crew members. Rena, Cagalli, and Kira hopped off the jeep. Before leaving, the blonde tomboy looked over to her guard.

"See you in exactly four hours."

The tall man nods his head to her. "Same. Be careful out here."

"I know. Still, you be careful. Al-Jairi isn't a person you can't let your guard down. He's one sneaky snake."

Natarle looks over behind the jeep to bid Kira and Rena farewell. "Ensi…I mean Kira, Rena. Enjoy your time as well. Try not to get into much trouble, okay?"

The two pilots just looked at her, blinking a bit with the latter sighing at the raven-haired lieutenant. They are trying to stay incognito for this mission and she nearly blew their cover out in broad daylight. If there were ZAFT patrols roaming around the city, they would have been immediately busted by her flub.

"Seriously, Miss Bardgiruel, you need to get out of your office. You need to socialize more instead of burying your head in paperwork."

The woman blushed in embarrassment while Jackie snickered. Murrue just buried her face in her hands, shaking her head at her in embarrassment. Thankfully, Sahib wanted to get back to business since they have a schedule to keep. Giving the signal to move, the drivers immediately left the area, heading over to Al-Jairi's residence.

When they left, Kira looked at the sight before him. He cannot wrap his mind around the surreal peaceful scene. Here in Banadiya, civilians are enjoying their day without a care in the world. As if the war never affected them at all. He was expecting some ZAFT soldiers roaming around the streets, establishing order in their occupied territory but there are no signs of them at all. Not even a single armed person is ever found.

It did not look like anything he envisioned to be the Desert Tiger's base of operations.

Cagalli raised an eyebrow at him. Heading over to his spot, she waved his hand in front of his face. "What's with the look? Aren't you supposed to be my bodyguard for this mission?"

The young lad did not even answer her question, continuing to look at the scene with the stunned look. "Are you sure this is the Desert Tiger's headquarters? It looks quite peaceful here…"

The former G-unit mentor, however, knew the looks on this town can be deceiving. "So you think Kira but you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Don't take it by face value."

Agreeing with the seasoned pilot, the blonde tomboy decided to show him something else. "Like Miss Emelia mentioned, you may think it's peaceful but it isn't. I'll show you something that'll counter your statement."

Not knowing what to do, Kira looked over to Rena. "Should we follow her?"

"Come on Kira. We can't let Miss Cagalli go on her own."

The two pilots followed the disguised princess, heading over to the back alleyways of the city. There the two are treated to a sight of a large crater while parts of a several buildings are cast strewn around the crater making it look like an opened unmarked grave. Some of the townspeople passing by either ignored the rubble or cast scared, nervous glances at the sight, fearing what would happen if they opposed the ZAFT commander.

Some of the children were curious when they looked at the crater but the parents immediately steered them away. When they asked why they would steer them away from it, they would either deflect it by promising them to buy something nice or softly reprimanding them, not wanting their children to get hurt by the rubble.

Kira just gaped at the sight before him. He should be a bit desensitized by the sight before him. He should not be stunned at this since he saw the remnants of Junius Seven and the severe destruction caused by the IMC against Militia planets. Yet, he cannot help but be flabbergasted at the horrendous scene. Matters worsened when he saw a large portion of the _Lesseps_ in the background of the city.

"Looks can be deceiving Kira. He's a strict man and doesn't tolerate nonsense. Anybody who goes against him is automatically removed from the equation. No ifs, ands or buts."

Rena added her two cents in. "Follow the rules or face the consequences. This place belongs to the Desert Tiger. This is his territory."

Off in the corner, a man is sitting at a table reading a newspaper with a cup of coffee settled on the table top. Although it is quite strange for somebody to read newspapers at this time and age, they are still being used in developing areas, like Banadiya. He is wearing a red and yellow shirt with faded blue jeans and a pair of brown dress shoes. On top of his head is a ridiculous brimmed hat while his eyes are covered by a pair of shades.

This is no other than Andrew Waltfeld in disguise. The incognito commander decided to take the day off from all the fighting, strategizing, and paperwork he has to do. Seeing it is a nice day to relax and have some fun, he got himself dressed in his casual clothes and ventured out in his territory. Having a nice cup of coffee to start the day, he read up on some news regarding the latest coffee brands, weather, a bit of celebrity gossip, and headlines back in the PLANTs.

As a commander, he should be reading about the latest news on the front so that he can make some battle plans in case of the next operation is about to commence but he avoided it. It reminded him too much of work and he dedicated this day as a freebie from anything military-related.

He continued to read a bit of the news until he heard somebody say his nickname. Looking up a bit, he saw a blonde girl with short hair, a brown-haired young man and a woman with long raven hair tied in a ponytail. All three of them wearing casual outfits. At first, he paid them no attention, thinking they are just newcomers to the city until his eyes saw the noticeable bulges of firearms.

At least on the two women since they somewhat kept it hidden from his sight but the young man he could not see. Still, he assumes the lad is armed as well.

" _Well what do we have here? People bringing in guns? They must've done their homework if they knew we're occupying this place. Still, I wonder what they're up to. Have to keep my eye on them in case they do anything funny._ "

The Desert Tiger pretended to read his newspaper but he kept his eye on the three newcomers.

Linking back with Rena, Kira and Cagalli, the former G-unit mentor looked at the corner of her eye to see a person wearing a top hat and shades reading his newspaper. To anybody, it would have been just some stranger and not regard him in the slightest but not Rena. She did some research on the man taking over Africa and knew the person sitting at the table is Commander Waltfeld in disguise. Despite wearing shades, she knows he is eyeing them to see if they will cause a ruckus in his territory.

Preventing him from gaining a suspicious look on them, she decided to urge the two teenagers to continue with their mission. "Come on you two. How about we go around the stores to get some of the items the crew members requested? The sooner we get this done, the better."

Cagalli just shrugs at her. She looked around to see a nearby store from where they are located. "Sure thing. Let's head over to that store. They may have something we need."

The three left the rubble with Rena eyeing the Desert Tiger a bit before focusing her attention on the two teenagers with her. Seeing them disappear around the corner, Andrew just grinned a bit, knowing something interesting will happen on this day.

A sever came up to his table with a pitcher of coffee in the container. "Sir, would you like to have some more coffee?"

"Sure thing. Wouldn't mind having seconds."

Pouring him his coffee, the server left him to attend to the other customers. Taking a drink, he places the cup down before rubbing his hands in eager anticipation.

"I was supposed to take a day off but something interesting will happen. Question is, will they make it entertaining to be worth my time? Let's find out..."

* * *

Moving away from Banadiya, the Frontier trio are heading to their intended destination. So far, they did not encounter any ZAFT patrols which is good because they do not want to make a racket that will alert the enemy forces to their vicinity.

They did run into minor resistance around the desert. Mostly scoundrels and bandits but they proved to be no challenge thanks to their inferior equipment.

Through their little "ride" as you can call it, Cooper wanted to know more about what is happening in the Frontier ever since he was considered KIA. He has not been able to ask them about it thanks to their current operation in freeing Africa from the Desert Tiger. The two former 6-4 members updated him about the current whereabouts in the frontlines. Such news included the IMC using a new weapon, Blisk recruiting some more mercenaries into the Apex Predators, and Militia gaining recruits into the ranks thanks to Jack's actions.

The man is quite stunned to hear the Apex Predators get more mercenaries into their little band. Not only will he have to worry about Viper but also the other pilots that will try to cash his head in? Talk about stressful.

You can argue that Cooper should not be so worried about it since he defeated them by himself during the Battle of Typhon. It should not be anything different be it Cosmic Era timeline or in the Frontier. Yes, he should not be so anxious about this because if he can defeat them back in Typhon, new recruits would not mean anything to him. Just another name added to the list of infamous people dead in his wake.

But remember, those mercenaries have a trick or two up their sleeves. Even our boy Cooper had some trouble defeating them in battle since they like to pull something on him at the last minute. Mercenaries will use anything in their disposal, even dirty underhanded tactics, to kill him. After all, they seek the rewards which are the credits and Jack is a walking paycheck for them.

In a way, this is a fortunate mission for him to take because he can see what technology their contact has to offer. Once he gets a feel for the equipment through simulation runs, he can take them on without any problems.

Plus, he will not face them alone since Mu, Rena, Jane, and Kira are with him. The lad has been taking a few lessons from Rena lately since the former G-unit mentor knows he can improve his piloting skills. Cooper agreed with her since the young pilot is still adjusting to atmospheric combat after fighting in space for quite a while. Not to mention, he is having a hard time fighting the Desert Tiger's BuCUEs which needs to be rectified.

Still, he was quite glad to hear the Militia is doing alright after his departure from his current timeline. He was worried they would revert to the losing side after dealing a blow to the IMC's war effort against them but it seems they are doing fine without him.

After a few minutes of trudging through the desert dunes, they arrived at their destination. The place is an abandoned Earth Forces base with a large, nay, vast courtyard of military-issued vehicles that have not been used ever since Operation: UROBOROS.

The base seems to be deserted until Jack spotted a few vehicles around the place and a mobile suit of some kind. Zooming in on the machine, the unit looks like the Strike only a bit bulkier and with varying degrees on the chassis. Not to mention, the unit leans more to the red and white color scheme pattern than the Strike's white color scheme with red and blue highlights.

The unit's appearance and color scheme did not grab Cooper's attention. Strapped to the unit's side is a katana.

"BT, what's the Strike-look alike over there? Haven't seen that one yet."

BT took a scan of the unit before reporting back to Cooper. " **It appears the unit is designated as the MBF-P02 Astray Red Frame.** "

"Astray Red Frame?"

" **Correct. From the information I am getting in my data banks from the scan I performed, this mobile suit is developed by Orb, the same country that created the original five prototypes we saw in Heliopolis. Like the Strike, it is supposed to be a general all-purpose type mobile suit. This, however has an interesting characteristic.** "

"Really, BT? Care to explain it?"

" **The armor of this mobile suit is different from the Strike's. Instead of Phase Shift Armor like the other prototypes used, the unit is outfitted with a metal known as foam metal. This makes the unit faster and lighter than their prototype counterparts.** "

"Huh. Interesting stuff."

Droz's helmeted face appears on the HUD, telling Cooper to hop off his Titan. "We're here. I just notified our contact about our arrival. Hop off BT so he and his crew can meet you."

"Got it. Gimme a sec…I gotta land myself on the ground first."

Landing themselves on the ground, BT hopped off the Guul before deactivating the sublift. Kneeling on the ground, BT opened up the hatch allowing Cooper to exit. Using his jump kit to slow his descent, he met up with Davis and Droz.

"Davis! Droz! Glad you guys could meet up!"

The trio looked over to see four people approaching them. One of them is a young man around Kira's age, possibly older. He is wearing a yellow single-button vest with a dark blue short-sleeve shirt underneath it. Wearing regular jeans and boots, he has a light blue headband around his forehead.

Next to him is a much older man than the brown-haired lad. He has long dark blue hair wearing a white long-sleeve shirt, black pants and boots. He seems to be around his early twenties if Cooper can estimate it.

Then there are the two ladies with them. One of them is around the brunette's age with unusual orange hair wearing a purple vest and a black tank top that exposes her midriff, light blue jeans and dark blue shoes. The other lady is more mature, possibly in her mid-twenties with long brown hair, a red shirt and matching red pants, red shoes, and a white lab coat over it.

Not admitting it out loud of course, the woman with the white lab coat is quite stunning. Gorgeous he may add but being the good boyfriend, he will put Murrue as his number one in his heart no matter how corny or cliché it is.

Davis and the brunette teenager did a high five before doing a fist bump. "Wassup Lowe! Been a while hasn't it?"

The now identified Lowe grins back at him. "It definitely has been, Davis. Especially that incident, but enough about that. How's everything at your end?"

"Not too bad. Droz and I got hired by a local resistance cell named the Desert Dawn. We're just here to help them free Africa from the Desert Tiger's hands."

Lowe blinked a bit, quite surprised to hear them fighting against one of ZAFT's best commanders. "Really? That's quite gutsy for a resistance movement. Still, much luck to your mission."

"Thanks man."

Droz clears his throat making everybody look at him and Cooper. "Davis, I know you like to catch up on old times but I believe you're missing something here."

"Oh shit, you're right! Ahem, Lowe, this is Jack Cooper. Jack, this is Lowe Guele."

Cooper took off his helmet before shaking his hand. "So you're the guy Davis and Droz has been talking about. Glad to meet you. Call me Lowe."

Cooper chuckles at the teenager. "Nice to meet you Lowe. Call me Jack or Cooper. I hope they said something good about me."

"Oh they did. They sure did Cooper. Still, I was expecting you to be a bit taller from how the two described you as."

The man shrugs at him. "Heh, get in line kid. I was expecting somebody who's a bit grizzled. Growing a beard and what not. By the way, care to introduce me to your other colleagues?"

"Sure thing. The long-haired guy is Liam Garfield while the person next to him is Kisato Yamabuki. Last but not least, here is the Professor."

The Militia hero blinks a bit in confusion. Having Professor as your name is not much of a name at all. He wonders why she would use a title as her name instead of using her real one. Unless, she did something that will warrant her arrest, then sure but that has him all the more curious.

"Uh Professor? Is that her true name?"

The Junk Guild member nods to him. "Mhm. We just call her Professor since that's how she wants to be addressed. Just don't ask anything about it because it's quite personal for her and the last thing we need is to piss her off."

Deciding not to push the topic further, he just accepts it. "Fine by me. Intros aside, I heard you have some interesting gear you have for us. Let's see what you got."

The young man grins at him, leading the Frontier trio to the trucks. "Now you're talking. Follow me and I'll show you some of the goods that'll suit your machines better."

Heading over to the trucks, Lowe uses the remote on the keys making the truck's trunk open up. Once the trunk is fully open, they are quite surprised at the various amounts of armaments and equipment stored in the vehicles.

"So tell me gentlemen. What do you think? You like what you see?"

* * *

Heading back to Banadiya, Cagalli, Rena and Kira have been going around the stores, grabbing whatever items their comrades requested. Most of them contained essential items but some just detailed for personal usage.

During their shopping trip, Cagalli picked some items for herself. Mostly hygienic items and a few clothes while Kira and Rena decided to buy a few items for themselves. They continued to go around the markets, grabbing a couple items before taking a lunch break.

Sitting down at a table, Kira breathes a sigh of relief. All this shopping is making him hungry and he wonders what they have on the menu. As if to answer his question, a server came in with a large plate in hand with all three of their dishes on it.

Placing it on the table, he gives them a smile. "Here you go. Enjoy your lunch."

Leaving them, Cagalli and Rena immediately dig in while Kira looked at his meal with an incredulous look on his face, not sure what it is. After a few bites, the blonde tomboy looked up to see the Strike pilot not eating his meal.

"What's the deal, Kira? You've never eaten kebabs before?"

The boy sheepishly runs his hand behind his head. "Um…no. Not really. We never had it in Heliopolis so its kinda new to me."

"Well, time to try something new. Here, use the chili sauce. Makes the kebab delicious."

Before she can do anything, an enthusiastic voice called out to them. "Now hold up a sec right there! I don't know what possesses you to do such a sacrilegious act to kebabs by adding chili sauce to it, but you should know yogurt sauce goes well with it!"

The three looked over to see a man wearing a red and yellow shirt, faded blue jeans, a pair of brown dress shoes and a ridiculous brimmed hat while his eyes are covered by a pair of shades. Rena tenses up a bit knowing this is Andrew but she composes herself.

Cagalli looks at him with an irritating twitch in her eyebrow at the stranger before them. What the hell does this stranger know about eating kebabs the right way? Better yet, why does he care about how they should eat it in the first place?

"Huh? The hell are you talking about?"

The disguised commander pinches his nose a bit, sighing in disappointment. "Seems to me that you haven't been educated enough to know how to eat kebabs but I'll call it blissful ignorance. Still, it isn't too late to learn the proper way to eat it!"

Looking at the uneaten kebab on Kira's plate, he turns back to the three. "Now how should I put this…ah right! Not putting any yogurt sauce on kebabs is a form of sacrilege against such a divine dish!"

Having enough of his antics, Cagalli decides to hell with it and add her chili sauce to her meal much to Andrew's horror and dismay. "To hell in eating kebabs properly! I don't know why you insist so much on how we should eat it but I'll be eating it my own way!"

Taking a bite at it, she gives him a mocking grin. "Ah delicious!"

Again, the Desert Tiger sighs in disappointment and sadness at the sinful act commencing before his very eyes. "Truly, this is a sin that needs to be purged from the face of the Earth. What a waste…"

Cagalli just ignored him, continuing to eat her meal while Rena just sweatdrops at the comical sight before her. Since when did Andrew Waltfeld become a kebab connoisseur, much less a food one at that? She thought some of the Earth Alliance commanders were a bit strange in their habits but it seems that even ZAFT military leaders have their own quirks.

The raven-haired pilot sighs before taking a bit out of her meal. " _What the hell have I gotten myself into?_ "

Looking at Kira, Cagalli points the chili sauce bottle at him. "Here! Kebab and chili sauce are made together!"

Andrew looks at her as if she were insane before getting back at Kira with the yogurt sauce bottle. "Now hold it right there! There's no way I'll let your bad habits be wasted on this poor fella! It was bad enough to lose somebody to the chili sauce cult but there's no way I'll let you corrupt this boy! Yogurt sauce and kebabs are a perfect marriage!"

"So you think but I don't think so!"

The two unleashed both the yogurt and chili sauces together making Kira nervously chuckle a bit. Rena rolls her eyes at the two as she took the last bite of her meal. Yeah, she is starting to wonder if coming here to Banadiya is a good thing or not.

"Now look what you've done! You've wasted such a good meal thanks to your reckless actions!"

"What do you mean what I've done!? You're the one who came in here and caused a scene! Not my fault if you decided to forcefully tell us how to eat kebabs in your own!"

Before it can escalate, the lad decides to try it out and, much to his surprise, he liked the combination of the two condiments together on his meal.

"I have to admit, this isn't bad. Quite good if you ask me."

Before Kira can take another bite, Rena immediately stood up, took out her pistol and aimed at the glint that was shining at their direction. Pulling the trigger, the bullet went through the man's head, killing him. The sniper dropped his sniper rifle from the rooftop but this spurred on another attack as a rocket came soaring through the air aiming directly at them.

"Get down!"

Without being told twice, they ducked down to the ground, with the table being flipped. Unfortunately, Kira's unfinished meal came on Cagalli creating a mess on her but at the moment, the tomboy did not seem to care. The rocket sailed right at the store, shaking the ground a bit.

With the table as their makeshift cover, Rena immediately saw some attackers come in charging, firing their assault rifles at them. The frightened civilians ran away from the scene, taking cover where they can.

"Die Coordinator freaks!"

"Your kind doesn't belong here on Earth!"

"For the preservation of our pure and blue world!"

Rena fired her pistol at them, taking down one of them. "Shit! It's Blue Cosmos! I never expected them to be here of all places."

Andrew calmly took out his machine pistol from his shirt, taking the safety off his weapon. "Well they're certainly here ma'am but we can think about that later. Right now, we have some extremists to eliminate. Weapons free!"

The disguised ZAFT soldiers along with Cagalli, Kira, and Rena began firing back, taking out the Blue Cosmos fanatics. During the shootout, one of them went close to their cover but before he can fire his assault rifle, Rena fired bullets right into the man. The nearly dead man fired his rifle wildly before collapsing on the ground dead. Taking cover, Rena reloaded a fresh magazine before shooting back at some of the attacking Blue Cosmos members.

Kira looked over to see one them going at their flank to take a clean shot at Commander Waltfeld. Not hesitating, he fired three shots at the attacker, dropping him down on the ground. From the corner of his eye, the Desert Tiger grins at the young lad before taking down the last few Blue Cosmos fanatics around the area.

Seeing them dead on the ground, Waltfeld got up, taking a big sigh of relief as the firefight is now over. "Looks like the area is clear."

He then looks to his disguised troops who are loading their weapons. "Men, I want you to sweep around the area and weed out any Blue Cosmos start-ups you find. If these guys had the audacity to attack us, more of them would be out there."

"Right sir!"

Leaving the area, Waltfeld looked over at the three. "Now then, thanks for-"

"Sir!"

Looking over, he spots Martin hopping off the truck with other armed ZAFT soldiers in the combat uniforms.

"DaCosta! What a pleasant surprise to see you!"

The man salutes before looking over at the mess. "Thank goodness you're okay! I heard reports of gunfire around your vicinity so I grabbed a few men to check up on the situation. How many men did we lose?"

Andrew shrugs at him. "We didn't lose anybody aside from one person getting shot in the arm but we'll be fine. Can't say the same for our attackers though."

"As long as we didn't lose anybody then we're good."

The Desert Tiger then looks over to the three. "Speaking of which, if there's anybody you have to thank for saving my life, it's the brown-haired youngster right here. He's the one who prevented a lucky nutjob from taking me to the grave."

Taking off his hat and shades, he tosses it to his redhead officer who takes it before looking at the three. "Guess, the gig's up isn't it?"

Cagalli and Rena looked at him as if they are looking at the Devil while Kira just blinks owlishly at the man before them.

Regaining her composure, the blonde tomboy looks at ZAFT commander with stony eyes. "You're the ZAFT Commander, Andrew Waltfeld. You're the Desert Tiger."

The man just grins at the three while giving a thumbs-up to them. "Why yes, it's me, the one and only." He then looks at Kira. "Still, young man, thank you for saving me. If it weren't for your quick wit, I wouldn't be here."

The Strike pilot blushes a bit from a praise given by a high-ranking officer, despite being on the opposite side in this conflict. "Thank you sir."

"Ah, no need to be so formal with me my boy! Calling me sir makes me feel old! Call me Andy or Waltfeld. After all, you're not my subordinate and we're not in the battlefield."

"Erm…sure thing…Andy…"

"Wonderful!" He looks over to DaCosta and his men. "Alright, let's clean this place up. DaCosta, get one of the boys to talk with the owner and reassure him that everything is taken care of. Have him take a report of the damages and send it to me. We'll go from there."

"Yes sir, but what about them?"

"They'll be coming with us. Although their day's been ruined thanks to the events happening here, the least I can do is make it bearable."

The three along with Martin looked at him incredulously but it seems the Desert Tiger is dead set on his decision. Nothing will sway him once his mind is made up.

"Right away sir!" He looks over to the three who are looking back at him with neutral looks. Sighing, he gestures them to the free trucks that came in the scene. "Hop in on that one."

Despite their hesitance, arguing with him is not an option considering the amount of armed ZAFT soldiers around the area. The three hopped in with Martin taking the driver's seat while Waltfeld and his men are cleaning up the battle site.

Settling in, Kira looked out the window with apprehension. Not surprising since he is heading over to the base where the Desert Tiger is operating but the man does not seem to have any ill-intent upon his request so he will just have to suck it up for now.

Once this hectic day is done and over with, he will take a shower, sleep in his barracks and forget about it.

" _Ugh, where's Cooper when you need him? I just wished he was with us this whole entire time._ "

* * *

In the facility, Cooper sneezed in his cockpit, causing him to fire a few random shots from his modified machine gun in different directions. Lowe, Davis and Droz had to take cover to prevent those Arc rounds from nailing them.

Gaining his composure, Cooper looks up to see Lowe look at him with some concern. "You okay there, Coop? You coming down with a cold?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I don't know why I sneezed though. I wasn't coming down with a cold or anything when I landed on Earth."

Davis chimed in on the conversation. "Well if you're not sick then this means somebody's talking about you!"

"You sure about that Davis?" asks a confused Cooper.

"Of course it is! So, who's the person talking behind your back? Your girlfriend or somebody from the _Archangel_?"

"Either Murrue, Mu, Natarle or Kira. I don't know anybody else who'd be speaking behind my back. Anyways, let's head back to business. I'm still trying to get used to this new armor but so far I'm liking it. I wonder how much punishment it can handle. Let's try it out shall we?"

* * *

Arriving at the location of their contact, the entire crew hopped off their jeeps. Befitting a typical person with many contacts in the underground market, they arrived at a mansion with armed guards carrying a mix match of Earth Alliance and ZAFT combat gear.

As if the guards do not make the place's security tight, there are two tanks and three technical on the courtyard.

Murrue cannot help but be a bit anxious about this mission. She is not the only one as Jackie and Natarle are feeling a bit apprehensive about this.

"So this is where Mr. Al-Jairi lives, Sahib?" asks Murrue to the grizzled Desert Dawn leader.

"Mhm. Don't worry, we'll be discussing some business here before we move to our intended destination."

They moved up to the gate before they stopped before a pair of guards.

One of them came up to them to see what they are here for. "Identification and state of business?"

"Sahib Ashman, Desert Dawn. We have some business with Al-Jairi."

Grabbing his radio, he calls in Al-Jairi. "Sir, we have somebody by the name of Mister Sahib Ashman wanting to talk to you. Should we let them in?"

"Of course. Let them in."

The man closes the device before heading to the keypad. Typing the code, the gates opened up allowing them entrance to the mansion.

"Proceed to enter in."

Entering in, they went up to the mansion steps before the guards opened up the door for them. Sahib led them to the living room where they see a bald man wearing a purple shirt, white khakis, black dress shoes. Al-Jairi smiles at them, greeting them a warm welcome.

"Why hello there. As you all know, my name is Al-Jairi but in case you haven't, now you know. Now then, take a seat. I have some tea prepared for you."

Sahib, Murrue and Natarle sat down while Kisaka and Jakie stood behind the couch. Clearing his throat, the bald man begins business for them.

"Now then, let's skip the pleasantries and start with important matters, shall we? This is quite a surprise for you to come here for something. I'm probably the last person you have on the list to meet up."

"The feeling's mutual Al-Jairi. It must be nice living a nice lifestyle with your monopoly over the water here. If I had any other choice, I prefer to never see your face ever again but I don't have one to begin with. We can't let our supply drop."

The man drinks his tea before looking back at the grizzled resistance leader. "Quite a predicament I would say but you have to change your way of thinking, Sahib. Your top priority isn't your faith but the lives at your hands."

He places his cup down on the coaster. "Still, water sources will change over time. Regardless of where you find it, water's still the same. As long as it's clean, it should keep you alive."

Sahib slams his hand on the table, clearly frustrated with the man before him. He would rather shoot this man and be done with him but right now, he is their only source to gain their supplies.

"Listen here, Al-Jairi, I don't have time to argue about pointless matters. Especially when there are lives at stake! Now then, will you help us or not?"

The man did not flinch, grinning at him as he drinks his tea. "Why of course, Sahib! We'll do anything we can to help our fellow countryman after all. It'd be unpatriotic for me to do otherwise."

Getting up, he stretches a bit. "As much as I want to discuss matters here, I believe the warehouse will be a better place for us to talk over the details."

"Fine by me."

Exiting the mansion, Al-Jairi instructed his guards to make sure they keep the security tight and to never allow any strangers to come in lest they have some business with him. Leaving the mansion grounds, they headed straight to the factory.

The journey took them about twenty minutes before they parked outside the parking lot. Upon entering in, Murrue, Natarle and Jackie looked over the massive inventory they have in the warehouse with wide eyes. Food, fuel, water, munitions, firearms, bullets, metals etc. You say it you name it.

"We already have the items requested stocked out and ready to go. However, I believe some of your friends here would like to see some of their requested items before their very eyes."

On cue, four of Al-Jairi's men came in with four wooden crates on dollies. Snapping his fingers, they lifted up the crates revealing them some of the much-needed gear for the _Archangel_. The three members looked at the items in the crates to make sure they are genuine and not fakes. The last thing they need is an underpowered warhead or faulty one when it comes to a critical battle.

"Take a look at them. 75-milimeter AP shells, Morgenroete EQ-177 magnetic shielding units, Mark 500 radar arrays and many more that you requested."

Jackie took one magnetic shield unit from the crate, taking it out from its wrapping. His eyes examine it more closely to make sure they are truly from Morgenroete and not some fake manufacturing company. It is only thanks to the Earth Forces Academy did they teach him along with many others how to find signs of false branding and labelling when it comes to their munitions.

Much to his surprise, they are truly from the company itself.

"Wow! They're truly genuine products. No counterfeit labels whatsoever. They're the real deal!"

Natarle picked up a warhead to inspect it to make sure Jackie is correct on his analysis. Sure enough, the crewman is correct as the labels are truly from Morgenroete. "I'm impressed. I can only imagine what illegal channels were used to get such a supply."

The man chuckles a bit. "Why, thank you for the compliment, but you should know something ma'am. There are numerous underground networks that you don't know a whole lot of. Some that have nice connections to either Morgenroete or to both military factions of this war."

He then looks at them with a smug grin on his face. "War generates profit and profit makes people like me happy. And it's only thanks to these connections that I've been able to supply either party with the necessary items you've requested. Now that I gave you what you need, I expect a little something in return for my services."

"We'll get to that in a minute." Sahib looks behind Al-Jairi's back to the three Archangel members. "Are those what you're looking for?"

"Yes. This will suit us well. Thank you sir." answers Murrue. The three looked at the armaments they will need one last time before heading back to Sahib's side.

He then looks back to Al-Jairi. "Are you certain you can give us the amount we'll need?"

"Of course I can, Sahib! After all, I have quite a nice supply here but if you're not so sure then take a look at this."

He motions one of his men to hand him the clipboard. Taking it from him, the grizzled man looks over at the details inscribed on it. Not only did he look at it but Murrue, Jackie, and Natarle took a peek at it. The three went wide-eyed at the sheer amount of supplies he has in stock in his warehouse.

"With this amount? You've got to be kidding me! There's no way he has that much in his warehouse."

The man found the crew member's surprised face to be hilarious. "This isn't a joke, son. Precious water doesn't come cheaply. Pretty obvious since this is the resource that keeps you alive and running so it makes sense that it'll be quite pricey."

"Alright then. You accept Earth Dollars, don't you?"

"I do."

He then turns to Kisaka. "Give it to him."

Handing him the check with the amount he requested, Al-Jairi orders his men to start unloading them from the warehouse. "Men, hand them the items they need. Make sure there isn't a miscount on them or you'll be hearing from me."

Al-Jairi's men begin loading the requested supplies in their trucks. Once they have everything they need, both parties went their separate ways.

* * *

Heading back to Banadiya, Andrew and Martin took the three to a nice lavish mansion that once belonged to an Earth Alliance commander stationed here in Africa before ZAFT took it over from their hands. The place is heavily guarded with a few GINNs and BuCUEs on the compound, a few tanks and a lot of guards roaming around the compound. Off to the side, they got a much larger view of the _Lesseps_ right besides the mansion.

Stopping their truck, the Desert Tiger hopped off before beckoning the other three to do the same. "Alright you three, come with me."

Kira, of course, was a bit hesitant about this. "We don't want to be much of a bother, Andrew. We really have to get going."

The man waved off his concerns. "Nonsense my dear boy! Not only did I interrupt your meal and have you save me but the young lady has sauce all over her. Can't have you returning like that now can we? It just wouldn't feel right."

Seeing that nothing will convince him otherwise, they gave in. One of the guards opened up the door for them allowing them to leave the vehicle. Seeing Andrew and his visitors approaching, the guards opened up the doors for them.

Upon entering in, the three are treated to a sight of a woman with dark blue hair with two orange highlights around it. She wore a tight blue outfit that showed off her figure quite nicely with white sleeves around the upper arms of the outfit.

"Why hello there Aisha! Seems like you were done with some grocery shopping. Got the items we need?"

Aisha, Andrew's girlfriend, just smiles at him. "Of course dear, although we couldn't get some of them from the list since they were out of stock."

"It happens so don't worry about it."

She looks at Cagalli before looking back at Andrew. "This is the girl you've been talking about?"

"Mhm. Do what you can to clean her up."

"This will be a bit challenging to get some of the mess off her but it shouldn't be hard."

She takes a look at her for a bit making the blonde tomboy back up a bit before she gives a nod. "Looks like you were having kebabs and tea before things went sour. Come follow me."

Rena and Kira were a bit hesitant to let the woman lead Cagalli but Aisha reassures them it will be fine. "Don't worry you two. I won't do anything harmful to her. Just cleaning her up and getting her an outfit that would be nicely suited for her."

Seeing no ill intent from her, they let Cagalli be in her custody. From his office, Andrew called out to the two of them. "Come on in while Aisha is getting the young miss tidy."

Entering his office, they see him preparing some coffee. The guards closed the doors of the office to make sure nothing will interrupt their commander and his guests. "I trust my coffee will be quite top notch during your brief stay here. Anyways, have a seat and make yourself comfortable."

Rena decided to take a seat while Kira looked a fossil piece on top of the fireplace. He took a closer look at it, knowing he has seen it somewhere in his biology classes during his time in high school.

"Evidence 01. Quite an interesting specimen if you asked me. Have you ever seen the real thing before?"

Turning around, he sees Andrew walking to him with a cup of coffee prepared for him. He sees Rena already drinking her cup. Kira accepted the cup before answering him. "Erm, not really."

"Nothing to be ashamed off. Still, I can't help but wonder why they call it a whale stone. Does it look like a whale to you?"

"I can't say for certain. I'm not much of a biologist but more of a technology type of person."

"Regardless, take a look at the wings on this creature. Normal whales aren't equipped with such appendages after all since they're sea creatures. Been that way ever since the start of time."

The two mobile suit pilots are still wondering where he is getting at with this fossil. What does this have to do with anything in the first place? Seeing the look of confusion on their faces, he elaborates more on it.

"This is solid proof of extraterrestrial creatures visiting Earth. But you're asking what's so special about this whale and why I'm making an example of this?"

"So if whale stone doesn't fit this creature, what do you classify it, Commander Waltfeld?" asks Rena.

He shrugs his shoulders at her. "Eh, nothing comes to mind really. By the way, how's the coffee?"

Rena took another drink of it. "Excellent. Better than what I drink on a daily."

"I don't drink coffee much because I'm more of a water person but it's quite good."

"You haven't acquired the adult taste for it yet but thank for the kind words. Though I do know a few people that might like it."

He imagines Murrue, Mu, Jane and Cooper coming in to drink his coffee, having a conversation over it. Possibly Davis and Droz but he never knew them that well compared to his time with Jack.

" _I can see Cooper have a blast with the Desert Tiger as they bond over coffee. For being a well-known commander in ZAFT, he is quite interesting."_

* * *

During their lunch break, the crew are eating some lunch after doing some simulations and runs of the equipment Lowe provided them and they are really liking it. Cooper sneezed again before taking a bite of his kebab making everybody look at him again.

"You sure you're not coming off with a cold Cooper?" asks Droz.

"Certain of it. Call it a hunch, but I have a feeling Kira is talking about me."

"Taking potshots at you?" asks Davis as he eats another piece of his kebab.

"Hope not. If he is, well, he'll get something from me."

Lowe gave a burp before looking at them. "Anybody want some lamb? There's quite a lot leftover."

"I'll get some! Been a while since I ate some and I'm craving for it."

Davis immediately dived while Droz just finished his meal. Jack took some before letting the eccentric mercenary have all of it. It was quite scary to see Davis actually finish everything in one sitting and it makes him wonder how long it has been since he had a good delicious meal during his time with the Desert Dawn.

" _I can never look at lamb the same way again. Not after how I saw Davis eating it._ "

* * *

The Desert Tiger chuckles a bit before taking a drink. "Really? Well glad to know there are some people who enjoy this delicacy. I have to meet them some time. But enough about that, this is quite a troublesome aspect if you think about this."

"Troublesome? Why do you say that?" asks a confused Kira.

"Thanks to the creature's discovery, people being to open up their eyes and minds. This discovery gave humanity a glimpse of…possibilities." Taking a drink, he looks at the two of them with a glint gleaming in his eyes. "Possibilities of humanity going further. That we, as a human species, can further overstep our limitations and reach greater potentials we haven't been able to seek."

"And it's thanks to such mentality that it started this whole war." commented Rena.

"Sadly, yes."

Kira frowned a bit, not liking to be reminded of the reason this whole war started. The doors were opened revealing Aisha with a newly dressed Cagalli. Andrew grins a bit at the sight before him. "Why hello there Aisha! So, is our guest well dressed and cleaned up?"

"Of course, though she is a bit…fussy when it comes to dresses but here she is."

Seeing Cagalli hide behind her a bit due to her embarrassment made the woman sigh before pushing her to the room. Kira and Rena were in awe when they stared at Cagalli in a dress. They were used to seeing her wear her casual outfit but seeing her in this dress definitely made them surprised.

"Y-you're a girl?"

Rena palmed her face at Kira's genius answer while Cagalli's face flared up in anger. "Of course I am jackass!"

"I didn't mean anything bad by it! I swear!"

"That's still saying the same thing dumbass!"

Rena sunk her face in her hands, groaning in embarrassment while Aisha and Andrew laughed at the scene. Even the guards outside are snickering as well. Once everything is calm and settled down, Cagalli took a seat next to Kira while Aisha sat beside him.

"I do have to admit, the dress looks nice on you. It appears you've been accustomed to dressing like this."

"Say what you want. If anything, this is just a pain in the ass. I'd rather wear my casual clothes compared to this one."

Andrew took a disappointed sigh while Aisha just giggles at the banter. "The perfect lady until you spoke."

"Still, I'm having a hard time believing you're the Desert Tiger. Why are you going around dressing up people? Is this part of your fun and games?"

Rena gave the tomboy a warning look but she ignored it, focusing her attention on the Desert Tiger.

"Aisha picked the outfit for you so I can't really follow what you're saying about fun and games."

She narrowed her eyes at the man. "Going out in disguised in the city or having residents evacuate their homes before burning it to the ground. That's what I mean."

This is as far as Rena will allow her to go. She does not need to have her give them away to the enemy much more than this. "Cagalli!" she hissed.

Andrew did not flinch at her acidic tone. "You've got nice eyes. They're quite sincere."

She slammed her hands on the table, glaring heatedly at him. "Don't toy with me!"

"Cagalli! Stand down this instance!"

But Rena's warning fell on deaf ears. The Desert Tiger's face immediately turned serious. "Are you one of those people who'd rather die?"

He then turns to Kira and Rena. "What about you two? What do you think of this situation? What do you think needs to be done for this war to end? I want your opinions as mobile suit pilots."

Rena narrows her eyes a bit at the Desert Tiger while Cagalli and Kira were stunned at how he was able to figure it out.

" _Figures the Desert Tiger did some research on us. Who wouldn't be after seeing us in action?_ "

"How could you possibly know that? You haven't even met us yet and you already now us?!"

Andrew just laughs at them while Rena motions Cagalli to sit down before she can do anymore damage. "Being too sincere, while good, is a liability. Especially when you're in a time of war."

He moves over to the table, pulling something from his drawer while Kira, Cagalli, and Rena are ready to defend themselves if they have to.

"Unlike sports where there are rules in place, war doesn't have them. Sure, you can say there are doctrines about how war should be conducted and what strategies to implement but those are on paper. Not in action. So how are the winners and losers determined in this war? At what point do we end all this?"

"At…what point?"

"Exactly. At what point do you end it? When every single last one of your enemy is dead?"

With that he turned around aiming his pistol at them. This immediately prompted both of them to unleash their weapons.

"I wouldn't do anything if I were you. Even with your berserker abilities, you can't take all of us here. In case you're forgetting, we're all Coordinators here. Like you and me save for your older companion, we're of the same race."

Everything was tense for a minute before the doors were opened revealing Viper in his pilot outfit, R201 outfitted with an HCOG sight, strapped to him while his B3 Wingman is strapped to his thigh.

Andrew drew his eyes to the side while everybody, minus Aisha, looked at the Apex Predator mercenary with tense eyes. Kira, Cagalli, and Rena know that if the Frontier universe mercenary is here, they will not be winning any fights soon. Especially when they witnessed him fight Cooper back in the Battle of Typhon.

Viper examined the scene behind his helmet with calculating eyes before regarding the ZAFT commander. "Desert Tiger, this is Viper reporting in."

"Welcome back Viper. I was expecting you to be back a bit later than usual. Then again, you work fast and efficiently so it isn't a surprise to me. Say, how goes the patrol?"

"Patrol went by smoothly. Rooted out all tangos before they expected it. DaCosta handed me a report about the recent developments. Especially when it comes to the new pilots coming in."

"Place it on my desk. By the way, have some coffee. Pretty sure you'd like to have some after a hard day's work."

Not seeing any harm in it, the pilot placed the TACPAD on the desk before grabbing some coffee. Pouring a cup for himself, he decided to stay in the office, watching the scene unfold before him. Although he has no idea what transpired here for both parties to draw out their firearms, the commander can easily handle himself fine, he will eradicate any threat that will threaten his boss.

Well, he will eradicate any tangos that are threatening his boss and his girlfriend but you get what I mean. Besides, he needs to be here for the debriefing to meet up with the new pilots they are receiving into their unit for the upcoming operation so why leave?

But what he noticed is the P2016 the young brunette teen has in his hands. Looks like the Devil of Typhon gave his service pistol to the kid which is quite smart of him to do since he and his party are entering enemy territory.

Reverting back to the three, Andrew did not lower his firearm at them. "I have no idea why you'd be fighting against your people but as long as you are the pilot of that mobile suit, you and I are enemies."

But he lowered his weapon. "But I guess there's no other option for us but to destroy one another until there's nobody left standing."

"Fact of the matter is, you saved my life today and this isn't a battlefield so I won't do anything drastic. But when we're on the battlefield, things will be different. I just wanted to know your opinions about the fact."

He places the handgun back in the drawer before looking at the three. "It was nice meeting you three and getting to have a nice conversation. Still, I can't help but wonder where the CGUE pilot is? I thought he'd be with you."

Before Kira or Cagalli can answer, Rena steps in to answer him. "He's in a mission of his own so I was sent to be in his place."

"Shame. I would definitely love to meet and chat with him, but with my…contractor here, I don't think it'd be a good idea. From what I observed, Viper and your pilot colleague hate each other's guts during that last engagement. Last thing I need is to have the place riddled with lead."

Viper rolled his eyes behind his helmet. While it is quite tempting to shoot Cooper and be done with him, he will not do anything that is unnecessary unless told to. It would be unprofessional to do otherwise. He cannot say the same for the terrorist though but if he does meet the Devil of Typhon, it will be quite interesting to say the least.

"I'm not impulsive, Commander Waltfeld. He may be my enemy but I will not cause trouble in front of you unless you tell me to. As for the Devil, he might be reckless and hotheaded as to try something inappropriate before you, regardless if you're not here to detain them."

The man just waves it off. "Oh you're exaggerating there, Viper. I believe the CGUE pilot wouldn't be that bad. I'm sure he's well behaved and all. Still, be it as it may, I don't want bullets flying around here while we have a cup of coffee. It wouldn't be good manners after all."

He takes a drink before looking at the three. "Well, I believe it's time for us to say goodbye. I'll have Aisha escort you two since I have some business to take care."

Before Aisha can do anything, Viper decides to talk to the boy. "You there boy. I see you have a nice pistol in your hands. I believe the CGUE pilot gave it to you before he left on his errand. Am I right?"

Kira just nodded, not trusting his voice. There is something about the mercenary that gives him the chills. Like a cold chilling tsunami washing over him. Maybe it is because he knows what the Apex Predators are like but unlike his deceased colleagues who are brash, ruthless, and sometimes insane killers, he has a cold, professional, calculating air around him. Almost as if he is observing their every move, calculating many steps in his head to counter them.

If necessary, kill them on the spot. Although he saw him in action when Cooper revealed his origins to them, meeting him in real life is something else.

"Give him my regards when you get back to your side. I'm sure he will understand it."

He frowns at him before leaving the office with Rena and Cagalli. As they left, Viper turned to Commander Waltfeld, his coffee mug still in his hands.

"So, Commander Waltfeld. What made you decide to bring the enemy here to our FOB?"

The grizzled commander shrugs at him. "I felt bad for interrupting their meal and having Blue Cosmos ruin their day. Not to mention, the young lady, who I believe her name is Cagalli, got sauce all over her so I had to make sure she's cleaned up. I don't want her smelling like that under the hot sun. No harm in doing so."

The mercenary just shrugs his shoulders at him. He is used to his antics by now so he is not surprised. Andrew finishes his coffee before placing his mug on the desk.

"I was hoping to not do a ton of work after this eventful day but duty calls. So tell me about the report DaCosta sent me."

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Alright! We are finally done here! Now I know what you guys are thinking. Why is Cooper not here in this chapter meeting the Desert Tiger in person? Glad you asked because this is my answer.**

 **After the fight with Viper, obviously Jack would need something better or at least upgrade BT to counter Viper in his next fight. So what better way to do it than get some better equipment? And what better to do it than our lovable Junk Guild member, Lowe Guele?**

 **And yes, you are not hallucinating or anything when I placed the Junk Guild in the African Arc. I mean I am sure there are black market vendors out there in Africa that sell mobile suit equipment, armor, armaments and even whole ones but I think it would be best to have Cooper meet Lowe and his group?**

 **I can imagine that Davis and Droz bumped into the Junk Guild during their time in the Cosmic Era timeline and established a friendly relationship with them so there is that.**

 **Now correct me if I am wrong but the Junk Guild appeared in Africa after Andrew Waltfeld's supposed "death". They probably arrived in Africa prior to the** _ **Archangel**_ **and her crew came in. Again, correct me if I am wrong on that assumption.**

 **But going back to Jack not being there to meet Andrew in person. Since Cooper will be busy in his errand to get new gear for BT, I sent Rena to be in his place. Our Militia pilot already bonded with Kira but not Rena so having her bond with Kira will be important too. Besides, I have given her some bits of screen time in the story so why not have her as a major appearance in the chapter? Besides, I have her train Kira in mobile suit piloting to make sure the boy is prepared in the upcoming engagement.**

 **Second, I have Cooper give Kira his P2016 pistol just in case he has to fight against some of those Blue Cosmos extremists in Banadiya. Now in the anime, Kira did not have a weapon with him when they attacked but I have to imagine he had one. Since he is an enlisted member in the Earth Forces, he had to have some sort of service firearm with him and make sure he has with him at all times in case of emergencies such as this. I am sure they have a rule for having all pilots have a firearm at all times in case of emergencies.**

 **I do not know if it is the writer's intentions to have Kira not use a weapon until later in the first season since he is somewhat starting to get accustomed to being an Earth Forces soldier or the fact that Murrue did not give him one due to the hectic situation they are in. Either way, I decided to spice it up a bit in this story so there you have it.**

 **Now notice I use the P2016 Pistol and R201 Carbine in the story. You have to remember this is a Titanfall 2/Gundam SEED crossover. The P2020 and R301 are weapons in Apex Legends which are "upgraded" versions of the Titanfall 2 platforms.**

 **So for those of you out there that are used to playing Apex Legends but not the previous Titanfall titles like Titanfall 1 and 2, do note that the P2016 and R201 are used in Titanfall 2. The Wingman is still the same since the B3 Wingman is used in both Titanfall 2 and Apex so the revolver is the only weapon that had the same classification but the guns used in Apex Legends are upgraded versions of their Titanfall 2 platforms. If you believe I am wrong, then go ahead and look it up.**

 **Anyways hope you guys enjoyed it. Let me know if you want me to post a second version of this chapter where Cooper does meet the Desert Tiger or you are happy with the way this played out. Have a good day everybody!**


	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

 **A/N:**

 **Alright, we are back with another chapter of my story! Last time we were here, our** _ **Archangel**_ **crew members and their Desert Dawn allies are splitting off for their own missions. First, the Frontier Trio went to their contract, Lowe Guele and the Junk Guild for mobile suit equipment. Murrue, Sahib, Natarle, Jacky and Kisaka went over to meet up with Al-Jairi for their supplies. Lastly, Kira, Cagalli and Rena headed over to the heart of ZAFT territory to do some supply scouting on their own only to find themselves meeting the infamous Desert Tiger of ZAFT, Andrew Waltfeld.**

 **Perhaps out of the three, the Frontier Trio had a lovely mission compared to their other compatriots in their own journey. Seems to the case since they do not have to deal with shady black-market people or enemy commanders. Although I did not touch too much on the Frontier Trio and their run with the Junk Guild, do not worry! I assure you, my fellow viewers, they came back fulfilled and satisfied.**

 **Now I have a surprise for you guys in the chapter that may take you by surprise. Well…maybe not because they were scouting for mobile suit gear but you might be surprised what I have in store for BT. So stay tuned in the chapter to figure out what it is!**

 **Legend:**

 **Hello – BT-7274 or Titan speaking.**

 _ **Hello**_ **– Thoughts, or flashback.**

 **Hello** **– Radio communications, news media outlet.**

 **Disclaimer: Titanfall belongs to Respawn Entertainment while Gundam SEED belongs to Sunrise and directed by Mitsudo Fukuda.**

* * *

 _Jack Davidson Cooper's Log Book 5.2_

 _Gotta admit, I had a fun time with my mission which is saying something. Normally missions aren't so fun since they're just strictly business but man, the Junk Guild sure do know how to pick 'em. They have a solid eye for equipment and thanks to that, I was able to upgrade BT._

 _I can't say the same for the other two parties because they seem to be more exhausted and stressed out than I was. More so with Murrue and Kira. Whatever happened to them must've taken a toll on their mentality. Looks like it's time for me to help relax my girlfriend._

 _Jack Cooper, Pilot of BT-7274, 41st Militia Rifle Battalion_

* * *

Things were a bit interesting after each group's respective missions. Despite the…interesting adventures, they are able to improve their current situation. For one, both Earth Forces and the Desert Dawn were able to receive their much-needed supplies from Al-Jairi which improved the situation for both sides.

It was quite a hilarious sight to see the reactions from the crew. When they saw the many crates coming into the ship containing food, water, medicine, munitions, and other necessary items, it was quite hilarious to see the baffled reactions from them. They are still wondering how a single man is capable of obtaining so many channels and provide them with this much for the _Archangel_ and her crew. Much less be capable of affording them because those supplies do not come in cheap.

Jack did not find anything strange by it. During his time as a mercenary, he dealt with his fair share of black-market folks with almost all of them having some big cash to spend when it comes to supplying clients. You have to understand, underground dealers are business people just like the next person only they are not constricted to many rules and regulations compared to their legal counterparts.

Besides, war is profitable. They will do anything to capitalize this golden opportunity.

When Murrue came back to the _Archangel_ , Cooper saw her look weary and tired. Being the good boyfriend he is, he went over to her side, soothingly rubbing her shoulders, arms, back, legs and feet. The beautiful captain immediately melted under his touch, feeling her worries wither away and enjoying her company with her lover.

During the massage, the two conversed for a while, talking about how their missions went. Murrue did not want to bring it up not wanting to ruin the romantic moment between them but she complied to his request. Cooper was not so surprised when she heard her not wanting to do something like this again which he cannot blame her. It is her first time dealing with somebody in the underground world but even she cannot do much in that regard because both parties have gotten themselves in a pretty dire situation.

A small silence fell between them before the brunette captain looked at her boyfriend in the eye. "Jack, what was your reaction when you deal with these people during your time as a mercenary. Of course, you don't need to give me a full blow account but…"

"Ah don't worry about it, Murrue. I was in the same boat when it was my first time dealing with a black-market dealer. I wasn't intimidated or scared by them but it's weird since it's my first time interacting with them. After all, I was in the Militia and all I know are military protocols in field operations and missions. Once I got in a few encounters with them, I got used to it. I completely understand why you'll be wary though."

"Right. Despite my hesitance to head into this little…adventure the situations for both parties aren't doing us any favors. Still, I'm not doing it ever again."

Cooper chuckles a bit before resuming his massage. "The day's over hon. Relax and let your loving boyfriend ease the stress away."

She definitely agreed to his suggestion, leaning in to his touch. "Then, Jack. As your captain and girlfriend, I order you to take my stress away."

The Militia pilot grins before resuming his massage. "Already on it, my dear."

Aside from Cooper knowing about Murrue's adventure to grab their supplies, perhaps the most interesting one is Kira's with his meeting with the Desert Tiger. He was glad the kid used his service pistol to defend himself against those Blue Cosmos nutjobs but he was surprised to hear him saving Commander Waltfeld's life.

It also unnerved the Militia hero that the ZAFT commander invited him, Rena and Cagalli to his base of operations. He feared the military secrets the _Archangel_ holds could have been spilled to him but to his surprise, he invited him over to chat. Even surprising that Commander Waltfeld wanted to meet and chat with him. Quite intriguing to hear from an officer serving the enemy's side.

He can already picture the scene in his mind. Just him, Davis and Droz meeting in a neutral sight, chatting about topics while bonding over a good meal and a drink. He can see Davis asking for an autograph from the Desert Tiger while taking some selfies of themselves and the commander together. Just a fond memory to add to the scrapbook.

Despite the interesting tale of his adventure, it also angered him a bit that Viper decided to taunt him by having the poor lad send his regards to him. Huh, he will show him a thing or two in the upcoming battle for sure. Bastard will never know what hit him.

Cooper noticed Kira's demeanor change a bit from his meeting with the Desert Tiger. Not in a brooding, depressing sort of manner but in a reflective manner. The Strike pilot did not fully divulge their conversation to him, only saying they talked about some reflective topics pertaining to the war. Jack did not force the young lad to spill everything out but he knows that whatever was said between them made Kira reflect deeply about this conflict.

He just hopes it would not affect him greatly in the upcoming battles but he has a feeling it would. Last thing he needs to worry about is making sure Kira did not take so many hits from his opponents while he tangos with Viper and possibly one of those Team Le Creuset pilots. That is a two-front mess he would never dabble in.

And for Jack? The Militia pilot was able to come back with some armaments to upgrade BT's combat effectiveness in battle. Much to everybody's surprise, the Vanguard Titan was clad in bulky armor dark gray armor. The CGUE apparently is capable of equipping an assault shroud which allows the mobile suit to take more hits than the standard issue one. This will help him a lot since Viper's modified railgun instantly shredded some of BT's shields during their last engagement.

If he did not dodge those deadly shots, it is game over for him and BT. Still, he is fortunate to be able to test the equipment Lowe gave them. After many runs, he is comfortable and pleased with the results. Lowe is definitely a genius and a gifted individual when it comes to engineering mech technology and equipment.

Although he is satisfied with the results, he will play it cautiously. Just because he has some good armor does not mean he can play it so aggressively. The armor can take a beating, sure, but it is not invincible or indestructible. All it takes is a few well-placed powered shots to knock this baby out and it is game over.

Does not mean he will not push at Viper. Oh no, he will definitely push Viper but he has to play it smart if he is to get him out of the picture. The Apex Predator will play it cautiously since he nearly died in Typhon. He will be super cautious probably a bit borderline paranoid to make sure he does not get into Cooper in his flanks to take a lucky potshot at him.

Of course, if push comes to shove, he will fight back but for the most part he will play it safe, using his sniper to drive him back preventing him from getting closer. Even use his Flight Core to drive him further back.

Regardless, our boy Cooper will find a way to get him one way or another.

Heading back to the present time, the _Archangel_ is quite busy. Many of the crew members are unloading the supplies in the crates, making sure they go into the right storage areas. Murrue, Duane, Mu and Natarle left the ship to talk to Sahib about the upcoming operation. Off to the side, Cooper is talking with Murdoch about the gear he brought back from his mission while Jane and Rena are in their respective units doing their adjustments usual adjustments.

"You sent the schematics and other details to my TACPAD, Coop?"

"Mhm. It should be there in your inbox but if it isn't, I'll send it to you again. It shouldn't be too much of an issue since our contact actually did a fantastic job in reconfiguring it to Titan usage."

"Got it. By the way, where is the youngster? Haven't seen him for quite a while. Know where he is, Cooper?"

"Probably inside his quarters or something. Kid's tired after working on his mobile suit."

"Well whatever. Still, you sure this'll work in battle? I mean against other regular mobile suits it'll wreck them six ways till Sunday but will it work against the other prototypes?"

"Uh huh. Tested this out during my time with them and it didn't treat me too badly. Worked like a charm. Besides, it'll be more shielding to at least cushion the powered shots from Viper's railgun or those beams from the other stolen prototypes."

Murdoch grunts as he looks at the heavily armored BT. "I hope you're right about this Cooper. Patching up BT was quite a pain in the ass to do and it took us hours."

"Ah don't worry about it chief. I assure you, you won't regret it."

The Militia hero looks over to the side to see Cagalli in a Skygrasper simulation pod, no doubt practicing her skills to see if she has what it takes to partake in the operation. Much to his surprise, he sees Arnold, Kuzzie, Tolle, and Miriallia watching intently. Walking over to the simulation pod, he sees Cagalli taking out some GINNs and two CGUEs in quick succession.

"Wow! That's amazing!" said Miriallia with Tolle nodding in agreement.

"Uh huh. You're definitely a good pilot alright. Cagalli was it? Makes me wonder if you had any experiences in flight combat."

Before Cagalli can answer, Cooper clears his throat making everybody look at him. "What's all the hub bub going around here?"

Miriallia smiles at him. "Oh Cooper! We were watching Cagalli do a Skygrasper simulation run. She cleared out the battlefield in about three to four seconds."

"Really? Let's see the results."

The simulation ended with the pod producing the results for them to see. Much to everybody's surprise, Cagalli came out on top than the other crew members who did the simulation. Really impressive for somebody who is part of a guerilla organization and not part of an official military.

Arnold is definitely impressed with it. "Huh, will you look at that. Number one just barely surpassing Lieutenant Houston. Yeah, you're definitely a gifted pilot alright."

Cooper is also impressed with her performance but he knows simulation combat scenarios does not compare to actual combat.

"Score's nice I'll give you that but will those skills transfer into real combat? Remember folks, simulations just provide you an idea of what the frontlines might be like but it is not the real deal."

Cagalli grins confidently. "Oh you bet Cooper! If I can wipe the field for a short amount of time in a simulation run, then I can surely do it in a real scenario."

He chuckles a bit at the spunky girl. Cocky now is she? He wonders if she is forgetting that they are fighting against ZAFT pilots, who by the way, are well-trained Coordinators. "Really? Well if you think you're up for the job, then I won't stop you. Just a piece of advice, don't rush in head first. Usually the first one through the door is usually the one in a body bag."

Leaving the white vessel for a moment, we find ourselves inside a cave. The four _Archangel_ officers are with Sahib looking over a map of their position and the Desert Tiger's. Pointing at a spot on the map, the Desert Dawn leader begins strategizing about different ways to combat their shared foe.

"This area right here is full of caves from the abandoned mines." Pushing up the map, he points to them a marked area. "We placed some landmines on this part of the area. If we'll be combating him and his troops, this is the spot."

Halberton cups his chin, looking at the map more closely. "And you believe this is where Commander Waltfeld will have his forces fight us?"

"Correct. He's probably thinking the same way we are so it'll be a waste not to use them."

Mu, however, does not seem to be quite enthusiastic about this. If Sahib is seriously thinking about going through with this, it will be like the Tassil incident only worse. "You sure about this, Mr. Ashman? Never mind about us but considering how well equipped the Desert Dawn is, there'll be costly casualties no doubt."

He takes a weary sigh. "I understand your concerns and I thank you for it but this will be the best course of action. If we can take back the mining area from the east that the Desert Tiger took for himself, it'll be worth it. Of course, we'll be taking advantage of your support to suit our needs into doing this. This shouldn't be too much of an issue, yes?"

Silence reigned for a few minutes as the four Archangel officers are mulling over this before Mu rubs the back of his head in resignation. "Sure thing I guess. What do you say, Captain Ramius."

"Very well. If this is the only shot we have, then we'll take it. We'll be glad to accept your cooperation to get pass the _Lesseps_."

"Excellent. I'll let my men know about the plan before we proceed with the mission."

* * *

On the other side of the African desert, massive mobile suit transports are landing down to aid the Desert Tiger. Mind you, this is courtesy of the Gibraltar base. Landing on the sandy grounds, the transports opened up revealing GINNs, about three CGUEs, TFA-2 ZuOOTs, some DINNs. Not a single BuCUE is ever seen with the arriving reinforcements.

But perhaps the most interesting arrival are the Buster and Duel in their deactivated forms.

Inside the _Lesseps_ , the Desert Tiger is not having a good day. To say he is angry is an understatement. He is downright pissed off. Waltfeld was hoping for Gibraltar to give him BuCUEs for the upcoming operation but the ZAFT base decided to screw him over and offer him anything but the quadruped machines he requested in his orders.

The commander just tossed the report on his desk before gripping his head in frustration. "I wonder what made those morons in Gibraltar think it's better to send me anything but the ones I listed. If this is their practical joke, I for sure as hell ain't finding it amusing at all. Are the BuCUEs out of stock or something?"

Martin just shrugs at his commander, feeling some sympathy for his superior. If it were up to him, he will do anything to make sure he gets the mobile suits he needs to combat the _Archangel_ and her allies but it is not his call to make.

"I'm sorry to say sir, but some of the higher-ups in Gibraltar wanted to save them for the upcoming operation, Spitbreak. They're placed in reserves until then."

Andrew scoffs at it, taking a drink of his coffee. "Spitbreak wouldn't even start till May. That's months away compared to this battle. I don't mind the DINNs coming in along with the standard mobile suits but ZuOOTs? What do those oversized hunks of metal do for us anyway? Be target practice for the enemy pilots? They're more of a hinderance than an asset. Firepower I'll give them that but not enough to sink the legged ship."

"Not only that sir, but Gibraltar thought it was a good idea to send in those pilots from the Le Creuset team to aid us in this battle. Apparently, it's their way to make it up for their lack of BuCUEs or so they think."

The Desert Tiger placed his mug down on the table, a frown plastered on his face. He knows who those pilots are thanks to the reports he got in advance but it does not mean he liked it one bit. Now understand, he does not hate the kids on his team but the man in charge of the unit. The Desert Tiger does not hate many a people as he wants to make friends but there are few people on the list he cannot stand. Rau Le Creuset is one of them. The masked man was able to gain a lot of favors from some of ZAFT's prominent political leaders, mostly with the Radicals and Vice Chairman Zala.

In his opinion, ZAFT military leaders should not be currying favors from politicians who have little to no idea about the frontlines. Much less, be sticking their nose in the sludge fest known as politics. Commanders should be focused on their part while those in office focus on their own end of things.

Still, this is not the only reason why he cannot stand him. There is just something…off about the masked man. The few times he interacted with him, red flags immediately pop. As a man who trusts his gut instincts, he knows Rau means trouble. Sure, he is pleasant when he talks but there is a hidden…madness within them. Almost as if he is talking to the Devil himself.

Setting his personal feelings for the man aside, he turns his attention on the two pilots coming from his unit. Namely, Yzak Joule and Dearka Elsman. Aside from being the kids of Mr. Elsman and Mrs. Joule, they are red uniform soldiers. Impressive but they are rookies in his eyes. Those two spent a majority of their time fighting in space while having little experience to ground warfare.

He would gladly take an infantry unit who fits the bill than an elite unit with fancy toys in their disposal. Call him harsh but this is a critical moment for him and his men. If he can stall the _Archangel_ and her allies and block them from heading to Alaska where Operation: Spitbreak will take place then this will be considered a major victory for them. With the _Archangel_ not helping out the Earth Forces in Alaska, this war could be over sooner than later, giving them a big victory.

Unfortunately, with the assets he is given, this will end in a disaster. Sure, Viper is in his ranks for the moment but this will not be enough. With the combined efforts of himself, the Viper and the two Le Creuset pilots, it may stall them for the moment but the enemy will still prevail. Especially when you consider the pilots on board the _Archangel_.

He shakes his head before looking right at his trusty second in command. "Oh man, this'll be a rough one to boot. I can already tell this will end in a disaster for us."

Martin was alarmed by this when his superior already admitted to defeat before the battle began. Despite the hand they were handed, they can still make due. "Sir, isn't it too early to call it a defeat? Sure, we didn't get what we want but I'm sure we can make do with what we have."

As much as he wanted to agree with him, he will have to take a raincheck on it. "I'd like to believe we can, Martin but I'm not so confident about this. Sure, we have Viper and our two pilots on our side but the enemy has talented pilots on their end. Our contractor may be good but he can't take them all by himself. Plus, if the kids from Le Creuset can't stop the _Archangel_ 's flight from space, what makes them think they can do it here?"

"Well yes but…"

He takes a sigh before getting up from his seat. "I know, I know. We'll try our best to prevent them from getting through us so we have to make the most out of our situation. But I'm telling you Martin, regardless of how well we fought, this'll end in a defeat for us. It seems to me Lady Luck has left me to go find somebody else."

He takes a drink of his coffee before leaving his office. "But enough, we have to make our guests feel at home. Get Viper since he needs to meet his new colleagues."

"Yes sir!"

Leaving the _Lesseps_ , the three went up to the deck of the landship. There, the Desert Tiger sees the Buster and Duel standing in their glory while their respective pilots are out their machines in their pilot uniforms.

"Well, they say you don't know the desert until you experienced it. Glad to have you aboard the _Lesseps_. In case you didn't recognize me, I'm Andrew Waltfeld, commander of the African Occupation Forces. Next to me is Martin, my XO while this fine gentleman here is Viper. He's our contractor."

The pilot went up to the two pilots checking them out before the greeting them. "Good tone. Pleasure to meet you, Pilots Joule and Elsman."

The two pilots were quite perplexed at the greeting the mercenary gave them but they just shrugged it off.

"Dearka Elsman, Buster pilot."

"Yzak Joule, Duel pilot reporting for duty."

He noticed the scar running diagonally across Yzak's face. "Well what do we have here? When a fighter leaves a scar that could be removed, it gives an impression he or she made a commitment of great importance."

Yzak frowned a bit before looking away.

"Hmm, judging from your reaction, it seems to me this scar of yours is a symbol of a humiliating experience. Am I right on that?"

Deciding to change topics fast, the silver-haired pilot decides to get straight into business. "Experiences aside, Commander Waltfeld, we have other business to attend. Business pertaining to the legged ship and the mobile suits in league with the vessel."

He went over to check out the prototypes, his eyes never leaving them. "If you're talking about the _Archangel_ , they're about 180 kilometers southeast or somewhere along the lines. I don't know much to be exact. I sent out scouts to survey where they're holed up, taking photos of their location. Wanna take a look?"

Dearka looked at him in confusion, wondering what he meant by it but Yzak's eye twitched in irritation, no doubt taking shots at them for their failure to stop them in space. No matter. He will get even with them and what better way to do it now than this fight?

"Your mobile suits are good looking. They looked similar to the one I fought when the _Archangel_ first landed here. As much as I wanted to say these mobile suits will do nicely for us in this fight, it wasn't enough against the custom CGUE outfitted with fancy tech as I read from the reports."

Dearka raised an eyebrow at this. "Commander Waltfeld, we heard that you fought against the Earth Alliance's mobile suits in Africa. Was it true?"

"I definitely did. To be honest, we haven't made much headway the few times we fought them. Quite the tough ones to beat. The custom CGUE even clipped off one the BuCUE's wings when we retreated. Truly, they're a force to be reckoned with."

Yzak then begins to head over to the _Lesseps_. "Regardless of the circumstances, we need to figure out a plan to beat the legged ship and their mobile suits. We failed to stop them in space but this is our opportunity to take them down. The sooner we do it, the better."

DaCosta and Viper accompanied the Duel pilot while Dearka and Andrew stayed behind. Taking a sigh, the Desert Tiger turns to the Buster pilot.

"Is your teammate always like this?"

Dearka sadly shakes his head to the commander. "Sorry about it, sir. He's been like that ever since we've been pursuing the legged ship. It only got worse when the Strike damage the Duel's cockpit, sending shrapnel and glass flying to his face. The one thing he's focused on is getting even with the Strike and destroying the legged ship."

Oh great. A hotheaded mobile suit pilot. A revenge-driven one at that. The very last thing Andrew needs is for the lad to do something dangerous due to anger issues. Hopefully, he will not do something costly but considering how he acted, it may be asking too much.

"So that's where he got his scar eh?"

"Mhm."

"Interesting. Regardless of the circumstances, can you keep an eye on him before he does something non-beneficial for us in the field? I have my fair share of hotheaded pilots and I know how they react when something triggers a wrong reaction from them."

"Sure thing sir. After all, it's my unofficial job to rein him in so there you have it."

The man laughs at that. "Not a bad job my boy! Now then, let's head in the _Lesseps_ and figure out a way to combat our enemy."

* * *

Back with the _Archangel_ and the Desert Dawn, the base is bustling with activity since they are geared up for their final assault on the Desert Tiger and his forces. Once they are geared up, the white vessel lifted off with the Desert Dawn in the front. During the ride, Cooper is in the mess hall with Mu and Kira. The three are eating kebabs at the moment with Jack and Mu finished with their meal while the young lad has his half-finished.

Mu drank some water before releasing a satisfying sigh. "Oh man, these kebabs are good. Definitely my favorite so far."

"Got that right Mu. These are good but I still prefer the lamb we ate. Should really try it Mu. Shit's good stuff."

"Maybe when we're done but I highly doubt I would since we'll be heading off shortly after we're done fighting."

The Militia pilot looked over to see Kira with a fond look on his face when he ate his kebabs. Wondering what he could be remembering, he asked the young lad.

"So Kira. You enjoying your meal."

"Mhm. Kinda reminded me of how our group met Commander Waltfeld. Even taught me something about how to eat kebabs and what goes well with it. Funny how things work in life, you know?"

This surprised Cooper. He never knew the man is a food connoisseur. "Really? That's interesting. Never knew he was a kebab expert. Wonder if he knows anything about lamb and other stuff as well. Makes me want to meet him all the more."

Mu placed his tray back to the container before sitting with the boys. "Interesting as it may be, it's better off to not know too much about the enemy." He then looks to Kira. "Especially you since you met him in person. Having a personal attachment to a person you're about to fight will make it harder on yourself. Although Commander Waltfeld may be friendly when you met him, I'm sure he wouldn't be so kind on the battlefield."

Immediately, flashbacks of him fighting Athrun came to mind proving how difficult it is to fight a person who you know serving on the enemy's side. Just then the alarms went getting the three up from their seats.

"All hands to level one battle stations. I repeat, all hands to level one battle stations!"

"Looks like the Desert Tiger decided to strike first. Let's get to work."

The three left the mess hall and into the pilot room where they got their gear on. Once suited up, the three went into their respective machines. Cooper activated the cockpit's HUD before looking over to see Jane's and Mu's Skygraspers outfitted and ready to roll.

"Cooper! We'll be the first to head out. Gotta say, I'm really excited to try these out on the field."

"Get the first ten kills before you tell me how effective they are. I don't want to be accused of false advertisement."

"Ha ha, good one Coop. See ya on the battlefield."

Seeing the two Skygraspers leave the _Archangel_ , Cooper steps up to the catapult. Outfitted with the CGUE's assault shroud, modified machine gun, Vulcan shield, and broadsword, he looks out to the desert landscape. He cracks his neck before leaving the _Archangel_. Once he was out, the man takes a look around the sky to see Davis and Droz riding on their own respective Guuls. You can thank Lowe for providing them with some air support devices since they definitely like to head into the battle head on. Not to mention, harass Viper whenever they can just to help out their boy Jack.

Staring out in the distance, he sees the _Lesseps_ coming in along with an escort landship. On top of them are what appears to be orange-red bulky machines with two dual beam cannons, a dual cannon plastered on the wrist and a machine gun on the other servo. Some of them are standing while the others appear to be sitting on the deck in what he assumes to be their tank mode. On the desert floor are the Desert Tiger's remaining BuCUEs.

In the air are DINNs with CGUEs and GINNs flying on their Guuls. Some of the GINNs are using their regular machine guns and broadswords while some are geared with D-equipment to get some potshots right at the white Earth Forces vessel. There in the middle of it, he can see the all-knowing custom red and silver DINN leading the large group to the _Archangel_.

"Hey, you seeing this Coop, Droz? It's like we're facing the half of the entire army over here. Didn't know they consider us special to have this much attention."

Droz just rolls his eyes at his enthusiastic partner-in-crime. "Or we can consider the fact that Commander Waltfeld knows the _Archangel_ can take some punishment hence why he asked for a good number of troops to take down the ship."

"Still, I should've dressed a bit better for this occasion."

Seeing them split up in different directions, with some squads staying back for defense, Jack immediately chased after them, taking out the first GINN in the fight. "Fight now talk later! Pick your targets!"

"Yeehaw time to head into town!"

Davis immediately begins firing the modified anti-aircraft shotgun, painting three targets in quick succession. Once he got a lock on with those three targets, he unleashed his missile barrage at the GINNs causing them to implode. The ZAFT machines fired back with a storm of lead, missiles and warheads. Pulling back, he swooped to the ground, firing continuously at three more GINNs, destroying either their helm units, arms, or weapons. Once the targets have been painted, he uses the missile barrage to take them out, causing three more to meet their tragic fate.

"Six down in a span of three to four seconds? Solid."

Before he can move on to the next targets, a lone CGUE immediately charged at him, firing his machine gun right at the former 6-4 member. Swerving to the side, he fired a few shots trying to get a lock-on to the CGUE but this pilot maneuvered himself getting into an upside down, firing the remaining bullets in his machine gun before reverting to an upright position. Davis sidestepped a bit, the bullets passing by his machine.

"You got some good moves I'll give you that but don't think for a moment your flashy stuff can beat all of us here."

Davis grins right at the enemy pilot, not afraid of him in the slightest. "Really? Okay then. Since I'm always a betting man, and a _very_ good one at that, I say I'll win this fight and you'll eat dirt."

The CGUE fired the remaining shots left in his machine gun before loading a new magainze. Just as he reloaded, Davis was coming at him, firing some shots from the modified anti-aircraft shotgun. The CGUE immediately flew around those incoming tracker rockets while retaliating back with another barrage of APSV rounds from both the Vulcan shield and MMI-M7S machine gun at the mobile suit.

Shifting to the side, Davis flew around for another pass before firing his sonar lock right at the chest via the Duel Dagger's linear cannon. Hitting squarely at the chassis, Davis got a third of the lock on before he fired the other two rockets creating a full lock-on.

"Hate to say it, buddy, but you lost this one. Nothing personal."

Before the CGUE pilot can react, a barrage of missiles went sailing right at him. With the machine imploding to its doom, he reloaded his modified shotgun, he heard an explosion behind him following by another one. When the smoke dissipated, he spots Droz calmly reloading his minigun.

"Watching your flanks?" asked Droz before riddling a DINN with the Predator rounds. The aerial unit moved a few more feet before exploding in the air.

The eccentric pilot fired six shots at two GINNs coming right behind his partner, painting all of them before the unleashing the tracking barrage at the two, destroying them. He turns to Droz with a smug grin.

"You said something to me Droz? Something about watching my flanks?"

"Touché."

Davis chuckles before reverting back to the fight at hand. The two ex 6-4 members again parted ways to engage the incoming ZAFT threat wreaking havoc in the skies.

Moving away from the two, we find ourselves looking right at the two Skygrasper pilots who are engaging enemy helicopter teams. Jane moved past Mu, making a beeline to four helicopters. The ZAFT birds unleashed a torrent of missiles at the incoming Skygrasper before splitting off into different directions to surround the incoming fighter.

Not bothered by this, Jane immediately activated her guns, destroying all of the incoming warheads with the Arc rounds while strafing around them. Locking on to a helicopter via her targeting system, she immediately unleashed the electric lead at the bird. The bird was riddled with many holes, electricity coursing through the frame. The unit imploded in a fiery ball making the blonde pilot whistle in satisfaction.

"Oh man, Coop was definitely right about these bad boys. Arc Rounds pack a mean punch. Makes me want to test it out on a mobile suit to see how effective they are. Especially with those stolen prototypes."

She did not have time to admire her handiwork as the helicopters begin firing their miniguns at the Skygrasper. Weaving around the lead storm gracefully, she fired her armaments again with Arc Rounds hitting right at the helicopters. Once she flew past them, those units imploded in fiery balls of glory.

As she made another pass to get back at the other helicopters heading towards their ship, Mu was busy fighting off some pesky GINNs flying in their Guuls. Every time he made a pass, they would dodge his attacks before firing back at him. Reminded him much about his situation back in space.

Seeing about five GINNs, two with D-equipment gear and three regular ones, ready to unleash some hell on him, he made another pass around the air, dodging the incoming lead storm and warheads that are coming right at him. Taking down the large Canus missiles with the Arc Rounds, he fired at the two GINNs using the D-equipment riddling them with electric lead. Their frames had electric lead running their course before they exploded.

Seeing their comrades dead, the three GINNs got a fresh magazine in their machine guns before firing another barrage at the Hawk of Endymion. Swerving around the lead, he fired a few beams from his beam cannon, nailing three solid shots right through their cockpits causing them to implode. While he normally would not use the beam cannon in this situation due to the extensive heat of the desert making it hard to hit targets effectively, he was able to adjust it to a reasonable level.

"Will you look at that. I still got it. I thought I was losing my touch but I guess I hadn't been warm yet. These Arc Rounds are definitely a big help against these guys. Now I don't feel so helpless against them."

His cockpit alarms went off as three more GINNs showed up around him. They fired their machine guns at the Skygrasper hoping to take him down but his swerved around those shots before retaliating back at them with another storm of electric lead. The three enemy mechs had sparks of electricity coursing through their frames before they blew up.

"Uh huh, I'm definitely loving these upgrades. I'll have to thank Cooper for outfitting our Skygraspers with some firepower."

Before he can move on to the two landships, another Skygrasper whizzed pass them. Mu was taken by surprise by this. Turning on the communications, he was greeted by Murrue's face on screen.

"Captain Ramius! Who the hell is piloting the third Skygrasper? I thought that was in reserve in case either mine or Jane's was shot down?"

Before Murrue can answer him, Natarle went on the comms. "Unfortunately, the pilot in the aircraft is Miss Cagalli."

"What?! What is she doing launching off in the middle of a battle? I thought we're doing good for the moment."

Murrue cleared her throat before giving out her orders. "Regardless of the circumstances, focus on firing at the two landships, the _Lesseps_ and the _Henry Carter_. Oh, and Commander La Flaga, I know this is asking much but I want you to make sure Cagalli doesn't place herself in danger."

Mu took out a lone DINN before observing the third Skygrasper in action. To his surprise, Cagalli was not doing so bad in battle, taking out some mobile suits despite her first time piloting the unit in combat. "I don't think Jane or I have to worry about it. Kid's doing good by herself considering she's taking them out quickly."

"Impressive for a first time pilot but that's not important. I want you to keep an eye on her in case she does something rash. You know how she is when it comes to battle."

"Uh huh, I know. Anyways, I'll talk to you soon."

Closing the line, Jane passed by Mu as she took down a GINN equipped with a Cattus rocket launcher. Getting on the radio channel, she gave him a raised eyebrow at the third Skygrasper.

"Uh, was it supposed to be out of the ship?"

He released a sigh, moving over to Cagalli's position. "No but we have a hot-headed kid who wanted in on the fight so she's here."

"Who's this kid you're referring to, Commander La Flaga?"

"Cagalli."

She did a double take, swerving to the side from a Cattus rocket before taking out the GINN wielding it. "Wait, you serious? She's the one piloting the unit?"

"Yep. She's handling herself well but she's testing her luck as she's making some passes around the _Lesseps_ ' escort ship. The Buster seems to be taken an interest in the lady. Most of those shots came dangerously close."

"Well shit, let's go help her before she gets taken out by their guns!"

"I was already on it, Houston."

Right on the _Lesseps_ ' deck, the Buster and Duel were assisting the ZuOOTs destroying the warheads coming from the _Archangel_ and their allies, the Desert Dawn. Yzak and Dearka are doing well but a few missiles came dangerously close to hitting the _Lesseps_.

Dearka was clearly not having fun, firing his gun launcher to destroy in the incoming Gottfried warheads. With that one shot, all of the incoming warheads were destroyed with the ZuOOTs taking out the remaining ones with their machine guns.

"Dammit! The dissipation effect on our guns is too high! Is this what it's like in Earth!? How the hell are we supposed to fight in this environment?!"

Yzak fired right at the Skygrasper causing mayhem for the _Henry Carter_. He continued to fire a few more shots at the pesky unit as it was trying to make another pass on their escort ship. From the corner of his eye, he saw the _Archangel_ getting stuck on something. As if the pilots read his mind, the ZuOOTs immediately began to fire everything at their disposal to them. Adding to the salvo are the main cannons from the _Lesseps_.

Seeing the legged ship immobile is a prime opportunity for them to take. Turning around, he ordered his close friend to fire right at the ship.

"Dearka! The legged ship's immobile! Take the shot immediately!"

"No need to tell me twice!"

Combining his rifles into the Anti-Armor Shotgun configuration, he aimed his crosshairs right at the stuck warship. "Let's see how you handle this!"

When he fired the shot, the _Archangel_ got out of their spot before the shot could land. Dearka clicked his tongue in dismay as his only window of opportunity slipped from his fingers.

"Dammit all! How the hell is it possible for the legged ship to get out of there in a pinch?!"

Yzak, knowing nothing can be accomplished by sitting on the deck and firing all day, hopped off to take matters into his own hands. " _I'm not going to sit here all day, shooting and sitting! Time to take the initiative._ "

The Buster pilot, seeing his friend hop off the _Lesseps_ , was wondering what in the world he is doing. "Yzak, what are you doing?! We have orders from Commander Waltfeld to defend this ship at all costs!"

"I know that Dearka, but we can't sit on our bums all day, just shooting our weapons whey they can't even travel for a mile. So I'll be doing what's necessary! Taking my fight to them."

Before he can protest, he saw the _Archangel_ aiming its cannons at them. Knowing what would happen if he sticks around for long, he immediately hopped off the deck and landed on the desert floor. He got out in time but the unlucky ZuOOTs were not so fortunate as those support machines were immediately destroyed along with the main cannons.

Dearka, seeing how much damage the _Lesseps_ is taking, was flabbergasted at what is happening. He heard a lot of amazing stuff when it comes to the Desert Tiger but this battle is starting to make him think twice about those praises.

"Whoa there. I wasn't expecting this from the Desert Tiger. How in the world is it possible for us to be on the losing side of this fight? We should be putting the pressure on them, not the other way around!"

He then begins to feel the Buster slowly sinking on the sandy floor making him stumble a bit around the cockpit. "Ah great. Not only are we losing but I'm sinking too. The last thing I need to worry about. Man this is definitely not my day."

On the other side of the battlefield, Cooper is moving in to engage Viper and his DINN squad of four moving in to fight the _Archangel_. The Apex mercenary seeing the incoming bulky target, immediately got on his radio channels.

"Falcon One, this is Viper One actual. Concentrate your fire on Bandit while I press on Angel."

"Copy that. Alright men! Split up and surround the CGUE. Box the pilot in and take him out."

"Yes sir!"

Viper immediately broke off from the group, heading over to the _Archangel_. Cooper, who was about to chase after him, was immediately surrounded by four DINNs in a box formation.

"Argh, I don't have time to deal with you! Move out of the way!"

Unfortunately, his request fell on deaf ears because every time he tries to shake them off, all four of them would form around him again before firing their machine guns at the bulky CGUE. Having no choice but to fight them, he used the Vulcan shield to block the shots while sticking out his modified MMI-M7S machine gun firing a couple shots at the aerial units. They immediately rotated around the electric lead, making sure they do not get hit by those deadly bullets before resuming their shooting.

During the shootout, a couple of those APSV bullets hit the assault shroud. Although it will take a lot more to destroy the armor, the incessant rocking knocks his aim off. Time to place his foot down and eradicate these guys before fighting Viper to prevent him doing some damage on the _Archangel_.

"Argh, I have enough of this. Time to end it."

Thankfully, he figured out their movement pattern. Or at least he thinks it is. Regardless, Cooper knew their movement pattern to easily lead shots. Loading a fresh magazine, he immediately locked his sights at the first DINN. Once the reticle is on the aerial unit, he pulled the trigger. As expected the unit swerved around the electric lead, firing his machine gun and the anti-aircraft shotgun.

But something interesting happened. When the enemy pilot danced around his Arc Rounds, a few stray bullets nailed the wings, destroying them completely making the machine falter for a bit. Seeing his chance to take him out, Jack immediately riddled the chassis with his Vulcan shield, peppering it with holes. The unit exploded immediately, causing the other three DINNs to pause for a moment.

A mistake on their part since this gave the Militia pilot a chance to eradicate them from the picture. Cooper aimed for their wings, clipping them off. Loading a new one in the machine gun in quick fashion, he riddled their chassis with Arc Rounds. Cooper moved past the doomed units, not even bothering to watch them explode in a fiery ball.

"Alright now where's Viper…ah there you are."

Seeing Viper heading towards the _Archangel_ , Jack chased after him, shooting down any ZAFT mobile suit that dared be in his way. Approaching the Apex mercenary within shooting distance, he fired a bit of his modified MMI-M7S machine gun. Viper flew up to the right side of the air before flipping himself in an upside-down position. Knowing he will shoot his railgun Cooper went into a zig-zag pattern to confuse the Northstar pilot.

Leading his shot ahead of his target, Viper fired his railgun. Like a movie in slow motion, the bullet went by the raging machine, the projectile flying dangerously right beside it. Reverting the time frame back to normal, the powered shot sailed by the custom CGUE before said machine flew by close to the custom DINN.

"Round two asshat!"

Cooper fired his modified machine gun right at Viper only for him to glide underneath the mobile suit. Before the Militia pilot can do anything, the _Archangel_ retaliated by firing one of the Gottfried cannons at the custom unit. Hovering to the side, he opened up to the compartments on his DINN before unleashing the barrage. Jack activated the Vortex Shield to catch all of the missiles before shoving it back at him. The Apex mercenary dodged the missiles before, with the sailing projectiles destroying two BuCUEs on the ground.

Murrue's face appeared on the screen. "Pilot Cooper! We'll try and assist you in-"

The man, however, knew the _Archangel_ interfering with their fight would only get in his way. Admirable for them to aid him but a hindrance. "No can-do Captain Ramius. Appreciate the offer but you'll probably nail me instead of the enemy."

"But Pilot Cooper-"

He dodged another incoming powered shot before retaliating with another barrage of electric lead. "Don't worry about Viper! I'll handle this front. Focus your fire on the _Lesseps_ , its escort ship, and the mobile suits heading to you. You'll get in my way for doing so. My armor can prevent the incoming damage but it won't handle much if you do some supporting fire on my side of things."

Murrue wanted to argue with him but hearing the conviction of his reasoning, she relented. "Very well but if things are getting out of hand, we'll jump in. Last thing we need is for either of you two to be damaged."

"I'll definitely need all of it babe. Talk to you soon."

Closing the line, Viper's face appeared on his screen. "So. You upgraded your machine with some armor."

"Right? Looks beautiful isn't it? Well too bad for you because you can't have it!"

Seeing the Burst Core ready, he reloaded a fresh magazine before activating the core. Unleashing a hurricane of electric lead at the custom DINN, he flew around the air while avoiding the power shots coming at him. Although Cooper was able to land a few hits on Viper, the pilot is still nimble, able to dance around his shots.

Once the Burst Core is over, the two continued to exchange shots at each other, trying to take the other down from the air. When Cooper ran his magazine dry from his modified machine gun, Viper activated his Flight Core right at the Militia pilot.

"Hear that ringing in your ears son?"

Opening the compartments from his DINN, he unleashed a flurry of warheads right at the custom CGUE. Cooper ran away from the barrage whilst activating the Vortex Shield to absorb some of them. Once the Flight Core is over, the Militia pilot unleashed the barrage right back at Apex Predator. Swerving to the side, he fired a couple more powered shots before reloading.

Cooper barely moved away from the last powered shot before firing a couple shots at the mercenary. " _Okay, I have to figure out a way to get this guy down. If I don't find one soon, it'll be a major pain in the ass down the road and I don't want to have a massive headache in doing so._ "

Flying in an erratic pattern, Viper fired a Cluster Missile right at the enemy mech hoping to destroy the bulky armor but to his dismay, the enemy pilot strafed to the right, allowing the warhead to hit one of the remaining GINNs riding on a Guul. As the name suggest, the warhead popped off its larger casings to deploy smaller ones, destroying the other two GINNs next to it.

The Militia pilot grins at the friendly fire Viper unleashed right at his colleagues. Before he can taunt him, his cockpit alarms blared when a lone shot came flying at him.

" **Cooper, we must evade!** "

Swerving off field for a bit, the shot sailed aimlessly in the air before dissipating. Down below, he saw the Buster wielding its hyper-impulse long-range sniper rifle, the smoke billowing off the combined rifles. The Buster aimed at the custom CGUE before firing two more shots causing Cooper to swerve around the battlefield. Viper took the opportunity to fire three powered shots from the modified railgun. He dodged the first two shots but the third one nailed it right at the shoulder plate.

Stumbling a bit, Cooper growled in anger a bit thanks to the distraction from the prototype artillery unit. "Argh, dammit. I wasn't expecting the Buster to be here of all places."

" **The Buster is not the only mobile suit on the battlefield, Cooper. The Duel is also here assisting the Desert Tiger and his forces.** "

"Great. Just what I need."

Before the Buster can do anything else, he heard the familiar sound of the Predator Cannon firing right at the sandy floor where the prototype artillery unit is located. The unit backed up a bit to avoid the incoming shots from the mobile suit. He saw the familiar Buster Dagger swerving around the air, going for another pass before firing another torrent of lead right at the prototype unit.

"Don't worry about this guy, Coop. I'll keep him occupied for the time being. Davis is taking care of the Duel since he was trying to gun for the _Archangel_ and the Strike. Mostly the latter than the former since Kira is busy engaging with the Desert Tiger. Seems to me he's having a wonderful time with his opponent."

"Classic Davis. Anyways, thanks for the backup, Droz. Saved me from doing a one versus two fight."

Before he can engage Viper again, he heard a loud explosion from the distance. Both combatants stopped for a moment to look at the big cloud of fire erupting on the desert floor. Looking down, Cooper saw Kira's Strike on the ground with its Phase Shift Armor back to its gray state while Rena's own mobile suit sported a few damages here and there but not to the point where it is in critical condition. Around Rena were BuCUE, GINN, and a few CGUE parts lying around the sandy floor. Not far off from the battlefield, the _Lesseps_ and its escort ship sustained heavy damages, no doubt from their combined attacks.

Davis got on the radio channels, clearly happy at the outcome of the fight. "Hey Coop! Kira's done it! He took out the Desert Tiger!"

"He did?"

"Mhm. He was having a bit of trouble but he was able to land some critical hits before taking out his mobile suit. Gotta say, he's shaping up to be a good fighter."

Although proud that Kira was able to deal a blow to the Desert Tiger's forces and their morale, he knew right away the kid will be having some problems sleeping at night. Especially when he has the death of Commander Waltfeld on his hands. He will have to check on him once they get back to the _Archangel_.

"Alright. Thanks for the heads up, Davis."

He turned his attention to Viper, readying himself in case he does attack them. Inside his DINN, Viper got an incoming transmission from DaCosta.

"Attention all units this is DaCosta! We're retreating immediately! I say again, all units we're retreating from this field immediately. We lost Commander Waltfeld and if we continue to press our forces against our enemies, we'll be losing more of our forces."

Seeing only a few GINNs and barely any DINNs left, Viper complied to his orders. Activating his Flight Core to cover their retreat, he immediately unleashed it on them before flying off from the battlefield. Cooper flew away from the incoming barrage before watching them retreat from the battlefield.

Droz immediately got on the radio channel. "Should we go after them, Coop?" he asks.

"Let them go. We already won this fight. Dealt a massive blow to ZAFT so we accomplished our task here. Besides, I need to get BT repaired so pursuing him further is pointless."

Cooper turned around to grab Kira and the Strike from the sandy floor before returning to the _Archangel_. Despite his failure to take out Viper once again, he is happy that they are making headway in their journey to Alaska. Right now, he just wanted to eat, take a shower, relax and spend some time with Murrue.

If not, well it is no biggie. He will have time to do it in the future.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Alright folks that is about it for this chapter. As you know, BT got himself the CGUE's Assault Shroud. Although the mobile suit, the ZGMF-515AS CGUE Assault, is the one to be capable of utilizing the shroud, I decided to go for this route to make him take more of Viper's powered shots coming at him from the railgun and fight him without having to worry too much about BT gaining some tremendous damage.**

 **Although the armor will not be indestructible, Cooper and BT will not be so squishy when fighting against Viper and his Northstar Titan.**

 **I know I did not put a lot of time in writing a segment about Kira's and Waltfeld's fight but I believe I do not have to write it out since you all know what happened in that one. Lazy, I know but I want to focus more on Cooper's and Viper's fight in this story.**

 **Now going forward from the African Arc, I have a question for you guys. Since the** _ **Archangel**_ **will be heading to Orb, should Erica and her crew take a look at BT along with its combat data or not? Let me know in the reviews.**

 **As always, hope you guys enjoy this chapter and I will see you in the next one.**


	19. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

 **A/N:**

 **Welcome back to another chapter ladies and gentlemen! I know it has been a while since I posted a chapter but I am quite busy with school since I am back for the semester. This semester is a bit harder than some of my other semesters hence why I decided to put some time off of updating.**

 **I know it is frustrating to wait for the next chapter but bear with me. I have not abandoned the story if that is what you are fearing. If I did, I would post a notice up on the website to make sure I let readers know. I know it can be…infuriating to say the least, that your author quickly posts it up for adoption but hey, at least I do not leave my readers hanging in a loop to think whether or not I abandoned it. There are some out there who do not notify their readers that they completely gave up writing the story, leaving them hanging about whether or not the author will be back to complete it or update more chapters.**

 **Do I know the reasons behind it? No since I do not want to speculate or assume much without having much information in my hands. This is just a reminder you in case I do decide it is time for this story to be put up for adoption.**

 **If I ever get burnt out and lose motivation to complete this story, which I do sometimes, or whatever reason, I will let you know. It is the least I can do for you lovely viewers for sticking with me through the ride.**

 **Back to the story at hand, so we are out of the African campaign and onto the sea, heading straight to Alaska. Of course, I will be having Davis and Droz hop aboard the Archangel since I have a feeling those two would like to stick together. You know…being Titan pilots and all. I am pretty sure the** _ **Archangel**_ **can fit two more machines into the hangar before it becomes cramped. If I remember correctly, the ship intended to house the five prototypes with the Strike being the only one not stolen by ZAFT. Counting the Strike, we have Reina's Strike Dagger, BT along with Davis' and Droz's machines making it a total of four machines.**

 **Well…I guess I already answered my question right there hehehe but I wonder what is the max capacity for this warship? I am guessing five but I could be wrong. If anybody knows the max capacity the Archangel can handle, let me know in the review section.**

 **Without further ado, let us get started.**

 **Legend:**

 **Hello – BT-7274 or Titan speaking.**

 _ **Hello**_ **– Thoughts, or flashback.**

 **Hello** **– Radio communications, news media outlet.**

 **Disclaimer: Titanfall belongs to Respawn Entertainment while Gundam SEED belongs to Sunrise and directed by Mitsudo Fukuda.**

* * *

 _Jack Davidson Cooper's Log Book 5.3_

 _The Desert Tiger's been beat and his forces have retreated. As much as I hated not taking down Viper, it was still a major victory in our eyes. We can now head over to Alaska and hopefully don't hit up some major resistance along the way._

 _The Desert Dawn and the crew had been celebrating this major victory. More so with the former than the latter which I don't blame them since they've been fighting them for quite some time. I didn't partake in the celebration because I know Kira will be in a depressed mood when he steps off the Strike._

 _Besides, the kid's my charge ever since we boarded the Archangel. Sure, he may have been taking some training lessons with Reina and bonded with her but he's been coming to me to see if there's anything I can do to help get better at fighting. Gotta help out my fellow pilots whenever I can._

 _It rattled him completely when he dealt the striking blow to him. Although he hasn't been into a crying, hysterical fit, he's adjusting to war. An improvement if you asked me since he's handling it well unlike the first time he stepped into the Strike and entered into combat._

 _He's attached to the Desert Tiger since he personally met him. I know that forming attachments to your enemies on the other side is dangerous since it'll make it harder to fight them down the line but the kid hasn't really indoctrinated it himself just yet. I wouldn't have an issue since I never met the guy myself but from what I hear about him based on Kira's account, he's a nice guy despite him being a commander of one of the ZAFT forces here in this part of the Earth. A shame really because I wanted to meet him and see him for myself._

 _Oh well, can't do anything about it. What's done is done. Now I have to focus on the upcoming road ahead. Hopefully, he will have a few days to settle down, mourn, relax and ease up. Fingers crossed but if there's anything I know about the kid, he'll be back on his feet again._

 _Jack Cooper, Pilot of BT-7274, 41st Militia Rifle Battalion_

* * *

Ever since the defeat of Andrew Waltfeld, the Desert Dawn and the Archangel's crew have been celebrating. Not so surprising since this is the first time they defeated a major foe, dealing a crushing one to the enemy's forces.

With Commander Waltfeld no longer there to keep matters in order, the leftover reinforcements from Gibraltar, which were not a lot considering a good chunk of their forces have been destroyed by the _Archangel_ and the Desert Dawn, flew back to the base to prepare themselves for Operation: Spitbreak.

Not to mention, Gibraltar headquarters is recalling some desert units to return back to base immediately for Spitbreak. Remember, some not all. Of course, that does not mean they will leave their territories unoccupied. They will send in some units to fill in their spots to make sure no resistance cells or Earth Alliance units try to regain their territory back into their control.

Although the Waltfeld and his forces are defeated, the Frontier Trio are looking out in the long run. Jack filled the other two ex 6-4 mercenaries about the other two Le Creuset pilots along with the machines they utilize. If the Buster and Duel pilots were there assisting him in preventing both forces from breaking through their defenses, the other two will surely be coming in guns blazing to continue their job of sinking the _Archangel_ and destroy their mobile suits. Not to mention, Viper will likely be aiding the Le Creuset Team since he will be the one with inside knowledge about defeating a Titan that has been configured in a mobile suit platform.

Speaking of Davis and Droz, those two decided to board the _Archangel_. Since their job is already over thanks to the success of the operation, they decided to join up with Cooper and the crew to help out in future engagements. The eccentric duo asked permission from the officers if they can join the crew to help for future engagements to come.

Murrue was a bit hesitant about the decision to sign them up but thanks to Droz's reasoning about providing extra muscle, she relented. Besides, having an additional two pilots in their band would help even the odds out. After reading terms of agreements along with other policies, the two are now part of the _Archangel_ crew.

Inside the base, Sahib, Murrue, Natarle Mu and Halberton are celebrating their victory. Sahib raised his mug with the other officers following suit.

"To the future we won over!"

"To the future we won!"

They toasted before drinking it. Murrue and Natarle choked a bit on it since they drank it too quickly making Sahib and Halberton chuckle in amusement. Sahib places the mug down on the table before looking at them.

"Although I know those three are busy packing up, where has Jack, Davis and Droz been during the celebrations?"

Halberton takes another swig of his drink before answering him. "As far as I know, Droz is in the Archangel, getting himself settled down in his new quarters. As for Davis…"

Speak of the devil and he shall appear. The five heard some thudding noises outside the base along with loud jostling noises accompanying them. No doubt it is from the equipment he is carrying.

"Scuse me! Pardon me! Coming through!"

Not long after, they can Jack frantically reaching out to him. "Davis watch out!"

Hearing a loud clang of metal along with frantic noises, the eccentric mercenary took a big sigh of relief. "I'm okay! Nothing bad happened! Phew, that nearly turned into a disaster! If I dropped it, everybody would've been turned to paste. Thanks for having my back Jacky boy."

"Christ Davis. Just make sure you watch where you're stepping at. Remember, we're no longer in our twenty-feet Titans anymore but giants. Besides, how was it possible for you to trip over a small boulder? Shouldn't it have been crushed or something?"

"Dunno man. Dunno. Maybe karma is out there to get me? Or it could be the wind. Perhaps Lady Luck left me. I dunno the reason but something's off here, man."

"I…uh…just forget it. Let's get a move on before things like this happen again. And for the love of everything that's holy, please watch where you're going."

"Sure thing dad. Whatever you say!"

Cooper grumbled about the dad comment before the two went on their merry way. As the thudding footsteps are ringing off in the distance, Murrue took a sigh at their antics. "I guess that's your answer Sahib. I'm just happy they didn't squish anybody around the general vicinity."

The grizzled commander grunted. "You can say that again."

Mu, although does not want to ruin the happy mood, addresses the elephant in the room. "Antics aside, I think it's time to address another situation. Although you defeated the Desert Tiger, you know this isn't the end. They'll replace him with another commanding officer and bring in more reinforcements. And we won't be there to help you out, especially Davis and Droz coming aboard with us."

"I understand completely, La Flaga, but we'll keep on fighting. Just because Davis and Droz are no longer with us doesn't mean we're completely helpless. We managed to get by without them in the first place so we'll do it again."

He takes a swig of his mug before continuing. "Besides, your mercenary of a pilot, Jack Cooper, trained our forces before you guys are ready to leave. Still, I have to thank him for giving us a crash course on how to deal with mobile suits. It's not the same as dealing with a twenty-foot Titan but the concept is still there."

"Still, you sure you don't need Davis or Droz to stick with you guys?" asks Mu.

"We'll be fine. I signed them up to help us take down the Desert Tiger. We did it so they're free to do whatever they wish to do. They're adamant about reuniting with their friend, even going as far as to work with you down the road for future engagements to come in your journey to Alaska." He took another swig before looking at them. "It's their choice so I won't impede them."

The five got out of the cave to meet up with Cagalli and Kisaka. Cagalli went up to Murrue, who raised an eyebrow.

"Yes Cagalli?"

"I won't beat around the bush so I'll go straight to the point. Kisaka and I will be joining you in the _Archangel_."

This threw the four officers by surprise. They will be joining them in their journey to Alaska? For what reason to be exact? When they first came here to Africa, she along with the others in the Desert Dawn were not fond of them since they are from the Earth Alliance. What made her decide to go with them?

"Erm…not that I'm against the idea but why would you join us? I thought you aren't interested in Earth Forces affairs?"

"Well don't get me wrong, I'm not interested in joining the EA in the first place and I never will. The reason why I'm joining is because you'll be needing my help along the way."

Mu raised an eyebrow at this. "We need your help?"

"Well…uh…I mean general help in different areas. I'm pretty sure you'll need some of my assistance when a situation may come up."

"It wouldn't be that simple, Cagalli. Military affairs aren't the same as resistance matters. I know it may sound offensive but I think we'll be fine going forward unless there's a strategic place within the Indian Ocean that can help us out."

"Well regardless, I already made up my mind and I'll be joining you."

The two went up the _Archangel_ 's hangar bay, making Murrue sigh. Sahib just shakes his head before looking at them. "Once she makes up her mind she doesn't budge. She hasn't change much. I know it's asking a lot but look after her. She's rough around the edges but means well."

"Don't worry, Sahib. We will."

Sahib extends his hand to her. "I just want to say thank you assisting us. We may not have met in the best of terms but without your help, we wouldn't be able to liberate our home from the Desert Tiger. No amount of thanks can be said for your gracious deed."

She smiles softy and accepts it. "No problem, Sahib."

"Anyways, I'm pretty sure you have a lot of matters to attend to. I won't keep you long since the EA still needs your help. Good luck in your endeavors, Captain Ramius."

"Thank you, Sahib. Until we meet again someday."

"Until then. I pray that luck and fortune be blessed upon you and your crew."

The four officers left to the _Archangel_. Once all of the equipment and other necessities have been loaded up, the crew said their farewells to the Desert Dawn and the civilians. The white warship slowly ascended to the air before taking off into the Red Sea.

Up in the bridge, Murrue ordered the crew to maintain a sharp eye for any hostiles around the area.

"To all crew members of the _Archangel_ , keep a steady eye on your surroundings. Just because we were able to defeat the Desert Tiger doesn't mean we can be lax on our alertness. The Indian Ocean is still a hostile environment due to reports of multiple ZAFT submarine and aerial units patrolling the waters. Be on the lookout for them."

"Yes ma'am!"

"Full speed ahead Neumann. We must make our way to Alaska."

As the _Archangel_ moved forward, Kisaka appeared on the bridge, taking a look at the screen portraying the trajectory of their destination. "They tell you to go to Alaska on their own without sending you any supplies or reinforcements. I wonder what's so important that would prevent the higher-ups from sending you the aid you needed."

Murrue kept a neutral face on that matter. "Unfortunately, we haven't been getting any luck ever since we exited Heliopolis. From there, we had to fight off multiple battles to prevent Commander Le Creuset and many more ZAFT units from sinking us. It didn't help much when the Eighth Fleet's supplementary crew entangled in a well-laid trap set up by them."

Halberton came up from the CIC station to meet up with the two. "Not to mention, some of my colleagues believe that ZAFT will be starting a major operation right there at Alaska. They devoted their resources into beefing up the defenses while spending whatever they have on menial items that wouldn't make much of a difference in this conflict."

"Still, the water and food supplies Al-Jairi handed over should be able to sustain you throughout the journey. It'd be wise to stay out of fights in this part of the Earth."

Duane, however, pointed a plausible scenario to the tall man. "But you have to remember, the _Archangel_ is a big target for these naval patrols roaming around this body of water. I have no doubts Commander Le Creuset tasked them to sink us when the chance comes up. It will be tough to retreat from tight situations should they come up while we're in the middle of the Indian Ocean."

"True to your point, but ZAFT isn't looking to increase their territorial presence here in the ocean. It's not their main concern at the moment since there are other strategic places they can focus before this big operation hits Alaska. Yes, there will be patrols but not as big as you'd think. This'll definitely work in our favor. With strategy and luck, we'll manage to hold our ground here."

* * *

Underneath the Indian Ocean, a ZAFT Vosgulov-class submarine, with the name _Justinian_ plastered on the side, is roaming to make its rounds. Inside the submarine is a man around his late thirties early forties wearing the standard ZAFT atmospheric forces green commander's uniform pouring himself a cup of coffee. Behind him is Commander Le Creuset.

"I was quite surprised and stunned to hear Commander Waltfeld reported as KIA in the African front. To hear a commander of high caliber fall before the legged ship and her allies is indeed troubling. But I suppose the blame can be laid onto me since I failed to destroy it in space when I had the chance."

The man said nothing as he takes a drink of his coffee before sitting down on his bed, placing the mug on the table.

"I'll be heading back to Earth to coordinate and make some preparations for Opertaion: Spitbreak. I know this is very embarrassing for me to ask this of you, Commander Morassim, but if you do spot the legged ship, please stop them at all costs. I hope I can count on you for such assistance in this manner. Good luck."

Closing the feed, Commander Marco Morassim just grunts in agitation before taking a drink of his coffee.

"Tch, that fucking masked bastard. He has the audacity to assign this mess to me when he was the one who goofed up in space? Damn fucker. I would've shot him if he ever showed his ugly face to me in my submarine orders be damned."

He takes a drink of his coffee before taking a look at the map on the wall. "Still…I'll play along. If the reports of the legged ship are indeed true, this may give me a challenge. Once I take down the legged ship, I'll never be a laughing stock in front of my colleagues ever again. I can finally gain an advantage over Le Creuset!"

Morassim's radio lit up. Pressing the button, he heard his second-in-command officer reporting to him. "Sir! Our sonars picked up a large enemy signal heading our way. We homed in on said signal to reveal it's the legged ship."

"Excellent. Keep tracking that signal. Get my team ready because we're about to take it down."

"Yes sir!"

Closing the feed, he cracks his knuckles before heading down to the pilot room to get his team ready. "Just you wait, legged ship. Your days are numbered."

Getting dressed in his pilot uniform, he approached the main hangar bay where his team are assembled before him. "You're on time, good. Listen up, we're tasked in destroying the legged ship since Le Creuset failed to take it down in space."

One his pilots decided to take a jab at the masked man. "The White Lightning of ZAFT and his fancy team couldn't take down the reported legged ship from space? Heh, that's a first."

That brought snickers from the rest of his teammates before Morassim cleared his throat. "Alright, enough about the jokes. We can make fun of Le Creuset all day long but we have a job to do. Our sonars picked up the legged ship's signal heading our way and as such, we can't let this opportunity slip from our hands. Get in your mobile suits and be ready for anything."

"Yes sir!"

Morassing slipped his helmet on before hopping in his DINN. Turning on the machine, he moves up to the catapult. Waiting a few moments to have the clearance turn green, he turns on the radio signal to contact the GOOhN pilots.

"We'll be the first to head out. I want you to stay in the sub I until I give you the signal. I don't want to waste your battery life on traveling before you get to attack the ship. Understand?"

"Got it sir. Just make sure we get to partake in the party. Don't want to miss out on this big fight."

"Don't worry. You'll get plenty of opportunities to take it down. Morassim out."

Once he is clear for launch, he took off from the submarine, with three more DINNs following suit. Once the four DINNs left the ship, they immediately went straight to their target. Getting on the radio, Morassim ordered his men to deploy the jammers.

"Deploy your jammers! Blind the legged ship, hit their critical spots and sink them!"

"Roger that sir!"

With the four DINNs deploying their jammers, they increased their speed to begin their attack.

* * *

Back with the white warship, we find Jack, Davis, Droz, Cagalli, the kids and a few technician crew members on the deck, taking a marvelous look at the Indian Ocean. Murrue allowed them to head up to the deck for a short amount of time before they can get back to their stations.

Miriallia and Tolle are enjoying their time gazing at the sea, feeling the nice cool breeze hitting them.

"Ah the breeze feels quite nice! Way better than the arid desert for sure."

"You said it Mir. It's been ages since I've felt Earth's waters! I think I was four years old last time I was on a beach. What about you Sai?"

"Well…ever since I was young, I've been taking some trips to Earth with my parents every summer since we have some relatives living there. But yes, it's a nice change of scenery compared to the desert."

Kuzzey, however, did not feel so enthusiastic as his other friends. The sight of the blue ocean scared him to no end. "But man it feels strange. I thought the desert is scary but this is on another level."

Tolle rolls his eyes at his friend. "Everything scares you doesn't it? Come on man! This is the ocean for crying out loud! It's not like it'll shoot up all of a sudden and eat you alive."

The four heard clicking noises along with a few chuckles. Turning around, they see the Frontier Trio taking some photos around the ocean before happily chatting about adding this to the scrap books or somewhere similar along those lines.

"You guys taking photos of the ocean?" asks a confused Tolle.

Davis took another photo shot before looking back at the kids. "Of course! We haven't been to Earth since the Core Systems are part of the IMC in the first place. It'd be suicidal for us to enter there."

"Besides, Earth's oceans are tame compared to some of the other planets we've been too. The seas there are quite rough. Always on a turbulent 24/7." added Droz.

Cooper chimed in. "And don't get me started on the wildlife man. Unlike the ones here in Earth, sea creatures in different planets are damn tough. Some are even the size of the _Archangel_ or bigger."

"Oh yeah definitely agree with you on that one Cooper. You should've seen the fish in Typhon. They're like Earth's prehistoric sea dragons of some sort only bigger and deadlier. I don't think the Megalodons can compete against those things." commented Davis.

The Militia pilot snorts at that notion. "The Megalodons don't even compete against the other sea creatures from the different systems around the Frontier. That thing is probably just a baby fish compared to the rest of the sea life down there. It'll probably swallow it whole without even beating an eyelash."

"Have you heard about Troy's Great Sharks? Man those things are huge! And their teeth? They say they're the size of a semi-truck or something. Total meat grinder if you asked me."

The four teenagers looked at them as if they are insane. Talking about killer sea creatures so casually makes them wonder what kind of nightmarish planets they lived in.

"Hey Coop! I heard many stories about Gage Masterson. You know, ex-IMC guy who became a fisherman with his Ogre Titan he nicknamed Roland. He lived in your home planet of Gilmienus, right?"

"Yeah. Met the guy too. He's a cool guy, chill, laidback. Even showed me how to use a Titan for fishing purposes and I have to say, the ways he catches those big fishes are insane. Still, it was quite fun since he and I were able to catch a big white-spotted Galuna. Even gave some portions of it to my family for free."

"That's mad rad Coop! Did you at least get an autograph from him?"

"I did. Wanna see it?"

Before they can say anything, the ship's alarms went off. "Attention all crew members, head over to your stations immediately. We are on level two battle stations! I repeat, all crew members report to your stations immediately. We are on level two battle stations! I want Pilots, Cooper, Davis and Droz in their mobile suits immediately."

Everybody left the deck, heading straight to their stations. Davis, Cooper and Droz went into their machines. As they turned on their controls, Miriallia's face appeared on his screen. "Pilots, you three are selected in this sortie since the enemy team only brought what appears to be four mobile suits. Unfortunately, the radar in the Archangel couldn't do much because of the jammers they're emitting so there could be more along the way. The Strike is still in need of repairs after the last fight against the Desert Tiger's custom-made machine so you three will have to defend the _Archangel_ at all costs."

Davis just chortles at the ridiculous notion. "Four? They're underestimating us for damn sure. It'll take more than those guys to take us out."

"Regardless, Davis, we have to stop them. This could be a recon team scouting their turf and picked up our signal. We need to stop them because the last thing we need is a whole enemy fleet converging at our spot and go for a major battle before we reach Alaska. I'll go first since I'm ready."

Stepping up to the catapult, the hangar doors opened up, revealing the marvelous ocean before them. "Jack Cooper! Custom CGUE, launching!"

Jack and BT left the _Archangel_ with Davis and Droz following suit as they rode on their Guuls. The three Frontier pilots looked around the skies before hearing beeping noises on their radars. Jack zeroes in on the incoming signals to see four DINNs approaching them.

"Well looks like Mir is correct. We have some company boys!"

"Let's make a bet folks. First one to wipe them out wins!"

With that, Davis immediately went gunning for the four incoming hostiles. Just as he reached them, the squad split up in multiple directions. Cooper and Droz immediately chased after the other three, firing their weapons at him.

The fun-loving mercenary aggressively charged at two, firing some tracker rockets at the enemy machines. They fluidly danced around the incoming shots before firing back with some lead. "Boys, I'll be taking two of them while you pick who you want to fight."

Without waiting for an answer, he chased after the two, distancing them from the white warship while Davis and Cooper took their picks. Droz immediately spun his Predatory Cannon before unleashing a hailstorm of electric lead at them. He was able to get it to fire Arc rounds thanks to Lowe for making them. The purple aerial unit danced around the bullets, taking a few pot shots here and there before firing its anti-aircraft shotgun. Droz activated the Gun Shield to prevent the projectiles from hitting him.

With the gun shield activated, he continued to rain down hell on the aerial unit while zigzagging around the shots before some of the bullets riddled the wings into non-existence. The unit stumbled for a bit, missing his shots. Seeing the raging machine charging at him, the machine panic fired the anti-aircraft shotgun but the shots did not even touch the Buster Dagger one bit.

Getting up close and personal, Droz jammed the minigun into the machine, lifting it up before pumping the rest of his bullets into the doomed unit. Once he finished destroying it, he threw it off to the side, with said doomed unit exploding into a fiery ball.

Just as he finished destroying the machine, he saw Miriallia's face appear on the screen. "Droz! We're being under attacked by what appears to be ZAFT underwater mobile suits known as GOOhNs."

"GOOhNs?"

"Mhm. They're underwater mobile suits and are attacking us underneath the ship, shooting their torpedoes before resurfacing to shoot their beams."

"Wait a minute. Why are you telling me this? Shouldn't the _Archangel_ have something to take them out like undermounted machine guns or turrets?"

"Well, I wouldn't say we do but we're trying to use some of the Wombat missiles to hit them but no go. The moment they see our guns aiming at them, the GOOhNs immediately dive back in, swimming around different directions which results us in missing our shots. We try to estimate their positions to shoot them underwater but we're shooting at water instead of their mobile suits."

"As much as I want to help out, I don't think it'll be a safe idea for me to shoot Arc rounds while submerged in water. It's a theory I can't risk and I'm not placing myself or my Titan in a vulnerable position. I don't know how electrical bullets work well with water."

Davis, as if listening to the conversation, chimed in on the spot. "Well, then you're in luck because I don't have any Arc weapons in my disposal. My rockets and sonar should do the trick. Swap places with me brother and I'll handle the rest."

"You sure about that Davis?"

"Positive. Besides, I shoot IMC Ronins for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This won't be an issue for me. They may be fast but nothing it's nothing I can't handle by myself. So unless you want to waste time, it's time to swap compadre!"

"Then be my guest."

In a quick manner, Davis swapped with Droz, the latter already firing his minigun to beat back the DINNs from chasing his best friend while the former flew all the way back to the _Archangel_. Landing on one of the legs, he parked his Guul before taking a dive, creating a large watery pillar.

Steering away from the mercenary duo, Cooper is fighting quite an agile opponent. The two are locked in a deadly dance of a shootout. Despite getting a few close shots at the machine, the electric bullets just grazed by. The enemy DINN opened up the missile pods before unleashing a barrage of warheads at the custom machine. Activating the Vortex Shield, the custom CGUE absorbed the warheads before unleashing it back to his opponent.

The purple aerial unit swooped underneath the barrage before making another pass at the custom CGUE unit. The unit reloaded another magazine during his flight before firing another torrent of lead at the unit. Cooper had to use the Vulcan shield to block the incoming shots while poking his modified one to retaliate.

Cooper slightly turned his eyes from his opponent to see two explosive fireballs painting the sky. Grinning a bit, he taunted his opponent back. "Well buddy. You're the only one left. I suggest you leave before we tear your ass a new one."

The enemy pilot narrows his eyes at him. "You think I'll retreat? I could care less if your machine is outfitted with the latest tech or have fancy moves. You don't have what it takes to beat me!"

"Oh really? Let's test that theory when my buddy over here joins the fight. Let's see if you have what it takes to defeat the two of us with your skills. Bet you it wouldn't come close."

As if understanding the situation, Droz aimed his minigun at the enemy DINN before unleashing a hailstorm of Arc rounds. Cooper joined in the fray by shooting his own volley making it a static storm of death raging at the aerial unit. The DINN had to back out before they can do some major damage to the frame.

The shootout continued on for a few minutes before the two took a big distance from each other. Before they can reengage again, a large orange circle flashed around the ocean before muffled cannon shots rang underneath the water. Five seconds later, two large watery pillars shot up from the air before a victorious Duel Dagger resurfaced from the ocean.

The machine called forth the Guul with said sublift device lifting off, approaching its owner. Hopping back on, the machine rejoined the other two.

Cooper looked up to see Davis giving him the A-Okay sign. "What did I tell you? Those GOOhNs aren't so hard to take out. They're fast but not as fast as a Ronin. Let's take care of this guy before he can snitch our position to his boss."

Before they can do anything, the DINN turned around to retreat back to base since the entire team just got destroyed by these talented pilots. Cooper, Davis and Droz fired everything at their arsenal to prevent the pilot from going back but they were only able to clip the entire right wing off his machine. The machine stumbled but did not relent in its retreat.

Davis chuckles sheepishly at their missed shots. "Hehehe? Well…looks like we failed to do that."

Jack sighs before turning around facing the other two. "Don't worry about it. It's not the last time we'll see them. They'll be back."

Droz begins to head back to the hangar. "He's right. Let's head back to the _Archangel_ to rest up before the next fight."

The three flew away from the battlefield before heading back to the _Archangel_ 's hangar.

* * *

Away from the action in the Indian Ocean, we find Rau in the Carpentaria base along with Dearka, Yzak, and Viper. The mercenary decided to tag along the two since they are chasing after the _Archangel_ and the pilots fighting for them. At first, Dearka and Yzak were hesitant about it but after he convinced them and their commanding officer, he was hired.

After all, he is the one who can help them fight against the pilots they encountered back in Africa so if they can provide some insights on how to take them out of the picture, who are they to say no?

"Sir! With your permission, please allow us to go after them! Since they're spotted on the ocean, this is the prime opportunity to destroy them."

Rau, however, did not budge from his decision. "I understand your eagerness, Yzak, but I must decline your request. While I admire your fire and enthusiasm, it can be a detriment when it takes over yourself. I want you to have a cool head when your teammates engage them again."

"Well of course sir! I understand but…"

Before Yzak can argue further, the door hissed open revealing Athrun and Nicol in their uniforms. The former looks at his teammates before looking right at Yzak, surprised to see his scar on his face.

"Yzak! That scar…"

The hotheaded pilot just glared at him before turning away, not wanting to discuss what happened to him back in space. Dearka just shakes his head before sighing.

"Don't mind him you two. Been a while since we last saw each other!"

The two, however, looked over to see a pilot dressed in what appears to be a black and orange outfit with a helmet and an orange visor. Strapped to him are weapons that are of unfamiliar design but from what he can tell, one is an assault rifle and the other a revolver.

While the sight of the pilot maybe strange for them, Athrun and Nicol cannot help but get a chilling feeling from him. Cold…nay artic freezing vibes from him. As if the pilot before them is not even retain a single ounce of humanity within him which unnerved the young pilots.

Seeing the two look at their new addition to the team, Rau clears his throat before introducing the mystery pilot to them. "Athrun, Nicol, please welcome your new pilot and teammate, Viper. He pilots a custom-made DINN. Viper, this is Athrun Zala and Nicol Amalfi. They pilot the Aegis and Blitz respectively.

He gets up from his spot, walking over to the two pilots. He extends his hand to them. "Good tone. Pleasure to meet you."

The two were quite caught off-guard by the greeting they gave him but shook his hand nonetheless. "R-right. Pleasure to meet you Viper."

Once he shook their hands. Rau extrapolates more on the mercenary. "Viper here is our hired mercenary. He has extensive knowledge on fighting the talented pilots aboard the Archangel and is willing to share with us information on how to at least gain an edge over them. But we'll get to that later."

"Yes sir. Still, how did Yzak get that injury if you don't mind me asking."

"Well, your teammate received it after getting himself injured from the Strike. He'll never take it off until he gets even with the pilot."

That ultimately concerned him. He ultimately feared the day would come when Kira would be killed in combat, either by a ZAFT pilot or by Yzak. Or by his hands. Yes, he has a duty to uphold, which is to fight the Earth Alliance and end the war but fighting the legged ship would also mean fighting Kira which did not make it easier on him.

Not by a long shot.

Nicol noticed his reaction. He has a hunch that he knows the Strike pilot personally if his hesitation to fight him back in Heliopolis indicated anything. He will have to look into this when the opportunity presents itself but for now, he will keep this suspicion to himself.

"Back to business matters. We have to stop the EA's ship at all costs before it can reach to Alaska with the data they have. This, however, will be Carpentaria's assignment, not yours."

"Commander! I'm sorry to say but I do this under protest. We were given this assignment by you and we'll see to it done! Carpentaria may have pilots but their mobile suits don't have the qualifications to take on the legged ship."

"Well I guess I can agree with Yzak on that one boss. I mean with Viper here giving us some tips and tricks to fight the legged ship's funky machines and their pilots, we'll probably get this one in the bag."

He then ponders about it before sheepishly looking at them. "Well…maybe…depending if we can catch them off guard or not. I still got my ass kicked by them the last time we engaged them in Africa. Hehehe."

Seeing that convincing them otherwise will not work on them, he relented in their decision. "Well if you are really insistent about this endeavor, then I guess I have no choice. If you feel that you're up for the job, then why not go at them yourselves?"

Yzak's face lit up in pure joy at hearing this while Athrun looks grim.

"Very well. You will be tasked to taking down the legged ship and her mobile suits before they reach Alaska. I won't be able to guide you through this because I have to do some preparations for the incoming operation which is why I'll be staying here. Still, you won't be without a leader."

He looks to Athrun with a warm smile. "Athrun, you'll be in charge of this assignment with Viper being his SIC. From the records I've looked at, our contractor is quite an amazing, talented pilot being able to tangle with one of the legged ship's mobile suits. I will make some arrangements for Carpentaria to take you to a nearby base to aid you in this mission."

This surprised everybody around the room. Well I guess it surprised Nicol, Athrun and Yzak but not Dearka and Viper. From what Viper got on the young navy-haired boy from Le Creuset, he is a level-headed pilot, working full well under pressure and never loses his cool. Quite an important trait to have especially when they are ready to pursue and destroy them.

Dearka, on the other hand, was not in the least bit surprised because Athrun is pretty much leader material. As much as he wanted Yzak to take the lead, he is not naïve to know that his friend's temper can easily lead them to into sticky situations. In a way, he is a bit glad because they can perhaps get things done with him in charge.

Yzak was quite angry at his commanding officer for letting Athrun take the leadership position. He is confident he can lead the mission better than this coward. Hesitation is not a trait a leader should have when it comes to decisive moments that can influence the outcome of this assignment and so far, Athrun has shown that many times during their tangles with the legged ship.

" _I should be the ones taking the lead, not this bastard. Argh, this is insane._ "

Athrun looked at his superior officer with a bit of a worried look. "Me as commander? Not to question your decision sir but are you sure I'm ready for this?"

He places a hand on his shoulder. "Of course. The legged ship isn't an easy warship to fight but with your skills and talents, you're the right fit for this spot. I know it's scary to be placed in a leadership position but you're the candidate I feel that can fill in this part nicely. Be confident, don't hesitate and trust your instincts. If you need help, ask Viper or your teammates for help."

Despite his hesitation, he accepts the responsibility. "Yes sir. I won't let you down."

"I know you won't. Now then, on to secondary matters. Viper, you take the reins on this topic since you're quite knowledgeable in this area."

Getting up, he places a device on the table before them showing some a holographic image before them.

"Listen well, pilots because this is crucial information if you want to understand the nature of your enemy. If you aren't paying attention, that's on you. If your machine is trashed, blame yourself, not me. You're elite pilots so act like one. Do I make myself clear?"

The young pilots nodded before Viper proceeded to provide intelligence for the elite pilots.

* * *

Back in the Indian Ocean, the _Archangel_ proceed to continue their journey after the skirmish was over. It was a day ever since they were attacked but so far, they did not find any sort of activity which was good for them since they can proceed to continue their journey as planned.

In the warship, Murrue decided to have a break with Admiral Halberton taking over her spot at the moment. The brunette captain saw Cooper eating by himself all alone, wearing a plain white T-shirt, black sweatpants and tennis shoes. He was writing on his TACPAD but hearing her footsteps made him look up.

"Yo Murrue. What's going on at the moment?"

"Not much Cooper. We're keeping an eye out for possible attacks but so far nothing showed up on the radar. What about you?"

He takes a bite out his meal before looking back at her. "Just fiddling around with my TACPAD, doing some updates and other fun stuff. The usual."

"Sounds fun."

"Eh, it's more of a pain in the ass because the update takes so long but what can I do? Anyways, you taking a break?"

She grabs a cup before filling it up with water. She sits next to him before taking a drink. "Mhm, it's been a bit of a stressful day. I decided to calm my nerves before I get sick. I can't have that while we're in the middle of a conflict."

"But you have Admiral Halberton to take over when things go down south."

"True, but as captain of this ship, I must uphold my health at all times. No ifs, ands or buts, Cooper."

He takes another bite before looking at her. "I know but I'm just saying. If you do get sick, Halberton can take over the place before the entire crew runs around like chickens with their heads cut off."

There was a pregnant silence before Cooper breaks the ice. "So. What do we know about the enemy? Anything particular about them because I was expecting some naval ships coming in full force when that one lone ZAFT pilot trailed off the field. Quite strange to not have that happening at the moment."

"From what we can gather, we suspect it was a lone submarine carrier from Carpentaria. At first I thought it was a ludicrous notion because it doesn't make sense why they'll have one submarine unit come all the way out here in the middle of the ocean to attack us but it's the only explanation we can think of. Then again, the 'closest' base that's around these parts is Carpentaria so it makes a whole lot of sense."

Cooper also thought it was strange. The ZAFT base is located around the Gulf of Carpentaria which is located around the Oceania Union. Said nation is around the continent of Australia with the Pacific Ocean bordering around it. To have those guys chase them from their home base is quite a gutsy move for them to do since they must have a lot of fuel jammed n that submarine unit to pursue them this far.

"Quite a gutsy move for them to do. Well if I were them, I'd make sure the fuel gauge is good because they're screwed if the gas is more than halfway consumed. It'd be a wonder if they'll be able to trail us all the way to Alaska."

Murrue giggles a bit before looking back at him. "Oh you, Cooper."

He gives her a cheeky grin. "Well you know that I'm not wrong on it, babe."

"Of course, you're not honey." She takes a drink of her water before looking back at him. "So what do you think about our future going forward?"

"You mean the war? Well, we'll keep kicking ass until it's over. This ain't gonna last forever one way or another."

Murrue sighs at him. Perhaps she should have worded it differently because that is not the future she is talking about. "No, Cooper. I wasn't talking about the war but post-war life. You know…our personal life?"

"Oh that one…got ya. Well, if you're worried about me returning to the Frontier, don't be. I'm not going anywhere. Even if the present opportunity to return back home presents itself, I'll never take it if you aren't in it."

Murrue's heart melted at his confession. In truth, she was a bit afraid that when an opportunity for Jack to return home back to the Frontier presents itself, he would take it and say his goodbyes to her. If she can, she wishes for him to stay with her and not go back so they can have a happy life together.

Is she selfish? Perhaps but ultimately, it is up to him to decide, not her.

"I understand that and I really appreciate it, but what about your friends and family back home? Not to mention, your comrades in the Militia. Don't you miss them?"

He gently grabs her hand which she joyously accepted.

"Don't get me wrong Murrue, I do miss them. I sometimes wonder how well they're taking the sudden news of my 'apparent death' but I know I can't dwell in that for long. Not when I have you and my friends to look after. Especially in a war that I participated in my own free will despite not having any obligations to do so. I'll stick by you no matter what, be it contracted or not."

She smiled at him warmly as she squeezes his hand affectionately. "Thank you Jack. You don't know how much this means to me."

"Hey don't worry about it. Once this war is over, we can work out the kinks of our relationship. Perhaps we can consider marriage down the line if you want to babe. Marriage and start a happy little family, living quietly and comfortably in an environment where our kids are not warped by the BS notion of genetic inferiority or superiority. That in the end, whether you're a Coordinator or Natural, you're still human through and through."

She blushes when she mentioned marriage, family and kids. Already, her mind is floating with images of Cooper playing with their children out in their backyard of their house while she is sitting on a chair, reading a book while drinking tea.

Noticing this, he decides to tease her. "Aw look at you. You're so cute when you blush. Already thinking about our future eh?"

"W-w-what are you saying Cooper?" asks a flustered Murrue.

"Oh don't give me that babe! I know what you're thinking in that cute brain of yours. You're already imagining the future we can obtain once this dusty old war is done and over with. Well, if that's the case, I wouldn't mind getting hitched. Just make sure we get some dates in before the engagement starts so we can get to know each other more on a _deeper intimate level_."

Shivers went down her spine when his voiced turned husky laced with lust, hunger and desire. Already, she is tempted to just drag him into her quarters so he can fuck her brains out and satisfy her. She wanted to wait until this whole conflict is settled so they can focus more on their intimate parts of their relationship but dammit she has needs too!

Lo and behold, their intimacy is ruined thanks to the alarms blaring around. Looks like the enemy is on the move again. Figures.

"Argh, I swear those ZAFT guys just have some homing radar installed in their stuff to detect whether or not we have a romantic moment. I just want my personal time with my gorgeous girlfriend dammit! Is it too much to ask?!"

She rolls her eyes, giggling at his exasperation but she too is also frustrated that the enemy has the audacity to do such a thing. "Oh quit being a baby. You know you're not the only one who's frustrated.? Besides, we'll have some time to have these moments between ourselves."

"I guess you're right. Time to head back to work."

When they got up, she immediately kisses him on the cheek. "Be safe out there Jack. I don't want you doing unnecessary heroics to place yourself in danger."

He grins at her before kissing her cheek in return. "No need to worry about that babe. Besides, I promised you in space that you'll never lose me. Not now, not ever."

"And I'll hold you to your word Cooper."

The two lovebirds went back to their respective stations. The Militia pilot got himself geared up and ready to go before hopping on his machine. As he got on, Davis's face appears on the HUD.

"Yo Coop! Ready to rumble?"

"Yeah but where's Droz? I thought he'd be here with us?"

Said pilot appeared on the left side of Davis's icon. "You were calling me?"

"Ah…you know what…never mind. I thought you were going for a nap."

Their mobile suits armed and ready, Jack went out first with the two former 6-4 members following suit. When they are out, Miriallia gives them a brief report on their situation. "Pilots, we are detecting some enemy units coming from the same submarine squad from yesterday. It looks like they are bringing in both air and sea mobile suits into the fray. We detect five DINNs coming at us while a small underwater team consisting of two GOOhNs and a ZnO is approaching the ship. Do your best in defending the ship."

"No problemo, Mir! Looks like it'll be the same as last time boys! I'll take the ocean while you two have fun in the air. See ya topside!"

Davis dove into the water while Cooper and Droz took over the air. The DINN squadron looked over them before unleashing a volley of lead and sabot rounds. The two backed away for a minute before they fired Arc rounds at them. The enemy squad split off but one of them was unfortunately caught in the hailstorm of electric lead, tearing the suit a new one before exploding in the air.

"Dammit! They got Devin!"

"Focus on them! Commander Morassim told us to distract them as much as possible so that his team can ambush the legged ship. It wouldn't do us any good if we all die here. Besides, they can't last long against fast hitters like us. DINNs are made to be superior in the air than mobile suits riding on Guuls."

"Right! Split up! I want two take on the bulky CGUE while the other two take on the other Strike-look alike."

The four split up with two ganging up on the armored CGUE and the other two at the Buster Dagger. The custom CGUE activated its Vortex Shield, absorbing the sabot and lead rounds from the two aerial units before unleasing them. The two swiftly went around the incoming mass projectile before firing again. Blocking them with the Vulcan shield, he pokes the machine gun out before firing back at the unit.

Deciding to flank around the enemy, the other DINN swooped around the air, making a pass before landing right behind him. The DINN took aim before firing.

" **Cooper! Enemy unit right behind us.** "

"Got it!"

Cooper made a daring tight pull upward, the bullets nearly hitting him right at the thrusters. The lead went sailing right towards the other aerial unit but thankfully, the pilot was able to move before they nailed his unit.

Cooper retreated back a few meters before loading a new magazine into the modified MMI-M7S machine gun. "Damn, those guys were able to get the drop on me."

" **Thankfully, my sensors were able to pick up enemy signals before the mobile suit was able to do some damage to my frame.** "

"Still, I should've been paying attention. Thanks for having my back BT."

" **Always, Cooper. Protocol Three: I will not lose another pilot. Get ready pilot. The enemy is on the move.** "

"Let's wrap this up. Don't want to drag this out more than usual."

The duo charged at the enemy DINNs, concluding this fight before it gets any further. Before the Militia pilot can engage the enemy pilots, a sudden blur went by, destroying one DINN before making a pass. The two combatants were startled at the turn of events before Cooper dialed in on the Archangel.

" _Archangel_ , this is Cooper! What the hell went by me and destroyed a ZAFT mobile suit? I thought Droz, Davis and myself were the only ones supposed to be on this sortie?"

Miriallia answered it for him. "Cooper! The Skygrasper that flew out is Cagalli! Don't shoot her!"

That threw Cooper off the loop. Cagalli should not be here in the middle of a battlefield but here she is barging in one, giving Cooper one less adversary to deal with. "What in the actual…I thought she wasn't supposed to be on the battlefield."

"Unfortunately, she was already at the hangar ready to partake in the fight. We couldn't do anything but let her out and I know Captain Ramius wouldn't appreciate a damaged catapult area in the _Archangel_."

Taking a sigh, Cooper focuses on his lone opponent. "Can't do much now since she's here already. Just notify me if there's more enemy units on approach. I'll make sure the kid doesn't do anything that could get her killed."

"Right. I'll notify you about any possible activity."

Closing the line, he focuses his attention on the lone DINN. Fortunately, the unit is occupied in trying to take down the disguised Princess of Orb which gave Cooper a chance. Aiming his Vulcan shield at the enemy, he released a torrent of electrical lead. Fortunately, the distraction worked because the DINN got filled with holes. The doomed unit struggled in a futile attempt to aim at the bulky CGUE but it was too late. The aerial unit blew up in a ball of fire.

" _Two down. Two more to go._ "

He heard some explosions over to the side. Taking a look, he sees Droz calmly reloading the Predator Cannon. Five seconds later, a huge explosion erupted from underneath the water, causing a larger vertical pillar of water to shoot from the air. Davis resurfaced from the ocean, using spurts of the jet pack to get him up to the _Archangel_ 's legs.

"Well, that took longer than expected. Was able to isolate those GOOhNs but that ZnO pilot was a pain in the ass. How you guys doing out there?" Cooper answers him. "We're doing fine though Cagalli got in the fight."

"Princess joined in? Huh…that's interesting. Why though?"

"I was about to ask her…"

Unfortunately, Cooper did not get the time to ask her because the damaged submarine carrier that was chasing them, the _Justinian_ , resurfaced. Knowing Davis did a number on the submarine unit, it opened up the vertical catapults, ready to launch the remaining DINNs to the skies as a final ditch effort to take on the _Archangel_.

"Cooper! Droz! Cagalli! We need to take out the sub before it can launch anymore mobile suits!"

The trio immediately unleashed all of their arsenal, with the help of Cagalli, right on the submarine unit. The _Justinian_ 's frame, already sustaining heavy damages, exploded, taking out everybody aboard the naval vessel.

"Whoo! That was good! Looks like we're done here boys and girls! No more ZAFT units to chase after us."

Just as the _Justinian_ got destroyed, another signal came into the combat area. There, flying in the air, is a lone ZAFT mobile suit aircraft carrier that entered in, oblivious about the entire fight.

Deciding to take on the mobile suit carrier, Cagalli took off to chase after it. "You three! I'll be taking on the aircraft carrier. You can head back to the _Archangel_."

Droz knew that Cagalli is biting more than she can chew in that decision. "Cagalli! Stop right there! Don't take on that aircraft! At least take one of us over there!"

"Don't worry about it Droz! This won't take long."

She immediately left taking on the lone ZAFT carrier. Droz groans in frustration before chasing after her. However, much to his surprise and frustration, a lone DINN survivor from the sunken submarine, blocked his path before engaging him.

"I don't have time to deal with you pal, so I suggest you move aside."

He unleashed a flurry of Arc rounds at the DINN unit, with the aerial unit dancing around it for a couple seconds before getting riddled with electric lead. The doomed unit flew a couple feet before detonating. By the time Droz took out the enemy unit, it was too late.

Already, Cagalli is engaging the lone ZAFT carrier. She was able to take out a wing unit in the vehicle but the carrier decided to take her down with them. Getting an angle with their machine gun turrets, they immediately unleashed a flurry of lead, hoping to take out the entire unit as they are heading down. Fortunately, they were able to clip the entire right wing, causing it to head straight down with them.

"Dammit! I'm losing control! Have to land this as much as I can before I get killed."

Trying her best to take control of the failing unit, she did everything she could to lessen the impact of the crash landing but it was not doing her any favors. Knowing her end is coming, she closed her eyes, waiting for death to take her.

Back in the air, the Frontier Trio tried to radio in Cagalli but they are not getting any responses from her. They tried multiple times but all they are getting is static from their radio channels.

"Any luck on your side because I'm not getting anything?" asks Cooper.

"None. Dammit, I told her not to chase after that ZAFT vehicle but she didn't listen to me. One of these days, her hard-headedness is going to kill her in the battlefield."

"Easy there Droz. No need to work up the blood pressure. I understand she didn't listen to us so you have every right to be frustrated but that ain't gonna do much in finding her if she survives the crash."

While Jack agreed with Droz, Davis is also correct on the matter. Getting frustrated would not do much in this situation. They have to mount a rescue operation, or at least salvage whatever is left of the downed unit before bringing it back to the _Archangel_.

"Davis is right, Droz. We have to head back to the ship so we can mount a rescue operation. No doubt, we'll be having one immediately upon our return."

The three turned around to return back to the _Archangel_. Little did the trio know that Cagalli is in fact alive but will be soon meet a certain individual who also dropped down with her in an abandoned island.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **That is a wrap ladies and gentlemen! Sorry it took a bit of a while to get this chapter up and running. The reason for the delay is because of school work. Almost everyday, except for Fridays, I have to wrap up some school work to get done. Even on the weekends, I am just finishing up a couple items before the end of the week. But regardless, here it is.**

 **Now a few things I wanted to mention. One, the assault shroud on BT. I do not know if I mentioned this in the last chapter but I decided to have BT be capable of flying around the atmosphere with the assault shroud on instead of having to rely on the Guul. I do not know if the assault shroud gives the CGUE atmospheric flight capabilities like the Alie Strike Pack but for story's sake, I decided to convert it into one.**

 **I also wanted to point out that Droz's Legion's Predator Cannon is updated with Arc Rounds. Now I know bullets would not work against Phase Shift armor so I decided to incorporate the electric lead into them. Although I did not put much detail into the chapter, you would assume that throughout their day with the Junk Guild, Lowe already got some requests to help upgrade their machines to fight down future threats as the war progresses. Hence why Droz is now capable of shooting Arc Rounds from his Predator Cannon. As for Davis...well...he will be around a support role because with the Arc rounds hitting the Phase Shift, damaging it, he can help dish additional damage to hit them with his 40mm warheads and missile barrage. This will suit well especially if he is paired up with Droz, Mu, Jane, or Rena. Suit him well.**

 **You guys have been clamoring about the BT data core thing right? Well, you guys are right that the head is a vulnerable unit to place the data core because it can get shot any moment within the heat of battle which can be fatal for Cooper and BT. After mulling around those points, I came to the conclusion that you guys are right. I implemented a way to make sure BT's data core is secured in a safe location that when worse comes to worse, Cooper can safely extract it before heading off into a different mobile suit that will suit his needs. I will not say it but you will find out in the next upcoming chapters.**

 **But yes, expect a bit of a slow update because of school and other real-life stuff. I am in my senior year in college and I only have one semester left. I tried to apply to my university's MBA 4+1 program to get an extra year to get my Master's degree but was not accepted since my transcript did not hit some of the required standards to get in. Bummed I know but at the time, I was not looking into doing a Master's degree. Just get a Bachelor's degree, maintain good grades, graduate and go do job hunting.**

 **A missed opportunity but I learn from it and move on. Who knows? Perhaps I will try again and see if I can qualify for it. Just have to wait and see what the future looks like.**

 **Have fun with this chapter, leave some constructive criticism, and see you in the next chapter. Peace!**


	20. AN: Adoption Notice

**A/N:**

 **Hey guys and gals, it is me, Giriko. I know this may come of a shock and a bit of upsetting news but I decided to put this story in adoption. I know you probably be starting to hit up the review section or the PM boxes telling me to go back and finish the story but I just could not.**

 **I know you guys and gals would like to see this story completed, and I do too, but I just lost motivation to do it. Like it is no longer exciting and fun for me to write another chapter in this series and that to me is the killing factor as an author. I want to write because I am excited to do it, not treat it as a chore or an assignment that I have to upload in the next few days. Now do not get me wrong, I was really excited at the beginning when I began to write this crossover but as the story progressed, the energy and excitement just…vanished. I just could not get myself into it.**

 **I guess that is one of the major reasons why some stories do not complete themselves. The author just does not have the drive or the motivation to accomplish it. Now that may not be the primary reasons because there could be other real-life causes that probably made them place the pen down, figuratively speaking but I can only assume that is one of them.**

 **Not to mention, I am frequently taking one month breaks instead of weekly breaks. I guess it was a sign that I am not as motivated or excited as I was. Also, the story is not heading into a direction I wanted or any of you wanted so that is another reason why I decided to put the pen down.**

 **But yes, this is it for me. I apologize for posting this but hey. At least I notified you folks about it just as I promised in the last chapter. If you want to adopt this story, then either tell me in the review section or PM me in the fanfic website.**


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